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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29684403">Hell Thief</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/NerdTree/pseuds/NerdTree'>NerdTree</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Haikyuu!!</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>AU Greek God, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Bittersweet, Demigods, Hurt No Comfort, Hurt Some Comfort, M/M, Pining, Souls, maybe soulmates, ouch my heart</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-16 01:27:40</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>38,491</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29684403</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/NerdTree/pseuds/NerdTree</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Sugawara and his friends are demigods who have decided to integrate themselves into modern society. Except people are starting to ask questions. So they visit a popular place for students to relax, a nightclub. </p><p>Except it isn't any ordinary nightclub. </p><p>"Kuroo Tetsurou, the owner of Hellstruck. There are so many conflicting stories about him. Some say he’s got the most gentlemanly persona ever, others say his personality is so twisted that he loves to watch us writhe around below him on this floor while he enjoys whatever he does up there.”</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou, Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru, Kuroo Tetsurou/Sugawara Koushi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Haikyuu Big Bang 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Prologue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>“The Power of the soul is the power every living being holds, the gift of the divine to all creatures in nature: The power of choice, of free will.”</em>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>In a world where gods and humans once lived among each other freely, the power of one’s soul was often the only thing that remained honest and true. And while the gods slowly disappeared, their descendants lived on.</p><p> </p><p>Demigods were once revered for their connection to the heavens, however, the godly blood that had once allowed them to attract crowds and gain glory slowly became tainted with the blood of man, leaving them with nothing. </p><p> </p><p>Cultures changed, the world evolved and progressed, but one thing stayed the same - souls. Every creature, be it a man, deer, tree, or ant, has a soul. But the gods became history; history turned to legend, and legend became myth.</p><p> </p><p>Today, only the descendants of these mythical beings know the truth. They are raised like any other human, before being bestowed this knowledge at the age of 11. Even as the world continues to move around them, their old bonds of friendship, rivalry, and kinship are still as strong as ever.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Lost in thought</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>“Souls resemble other souls, and those that resemble each other are harmony; that is why people are attracted to those they resemble.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey! No fair! You can’t use your perception while we’re playing a card game!” Nishinoya pointed an accusing finger at Sugawara, who just smiled innocently. Sugawara possessed a sort of forethought that he experienced as a moment of déjà vu, as well as being able to perceive the nature of people's motives towards him.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t know what you’re talking about Nishinoya,” Suga said with a hum.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course you do! You did the thing where you zone out for a moment. That’s your tell,” Nishinoya practically glowed as he grumped at Sugawara. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Your Apollo glow is coming back,” Akaashi said quietly off to one side, hiding his hand of cards, “And I don’t think Sugawara is using his ability. You’re just far too easy to read.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Both of Akaashi’s comments caused Nishinoya to stop in his tracks and lose his train of thought. He looked between Sugawara and Akaashi, eyes landing on the latter and frowning slightly.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re supposed to be on my side!” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Says who?” Akaashi, Artemis’ descendant asked simply.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, you are technically distant cousins,” the fourth and final voice in the room spoke up, “Though that doesn’t mean that you’re obliged to side with each other.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Iwa! You’re not helping! I’m being ganged up on by all of you! Let’s play a different game like … oh! What about Monopoly?” Nishinoya suggested.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“No way.” Suga shook his head</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Like hell.” Iwaizumi scoffed.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Last time we played Monopoly, none of us slept for nearly two days, and the house was out of food by the time we finished,” Akaashi reasoned.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“That was an achievement! We should be proud!” Nishinoya grinned as the others sighed and shook their heads. He was probably the only one of them who enjoyed that ordeal.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Why don’t we play a game that focuses on something that none of us can use our abilities on? Like a reaction game?” Sugawara ended up suggesting, dispelling the chaos as the other three looked over at him curiously. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It was soon agreed that they’d have a competition to see who was the best at one of the most basic card games in existence: Snap. Everyone puts a card down one at a time, and if the same number comes up, the fastest to slam their hand on the table wins and gets those cards. Of course, it was chaotic; there was laughter and a little crying as Iwaizumi accidentally used his Ares strength to nearly crush Sugawara’s hand, but overall, everyone had their own fun and no one was accused of playing unfairly.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>After the intense competition that went on for far longer than it should have, the four sat around the room in a comfortable silence as they each lost themselves in thought of many different things. Despite how well they blended into society, they always felt slightly out of place, like a clock that ticked out of time. There were times where their abilities or their knowledge could have helped, but the number one rule in this age was secrecy. Like when the search for a missing child was deemed futile, and Akaashi wanted to help track them down. Or the time a criminal walked free and Suga could have pointed out the pure malice and satisfaction of the man walking away from his sentence.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s been two years - no one suspects anything. We could go out for a night. It would be weird for us not to at this point,” Iwaizumi spoke quietly, trying not to disturb the peace of the room. “Not to mention my teammates are starting to get suspicious and you guys have mentioned your classmates giving you weird looks.” He felt obliged to add his thoughts when two frowns and a poorly concealed expression of curiosity and excitement were directed at him.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You think we can get away with it?” Sugawara asked, still nursing his aching hand, “It’s not exactly easy to find someplace where no one will suspect us of anything even if something goes wrong, or a certain someone has a bit too much alcohol.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, just because I start glowing doesn’t mean it’ll be obvious what we are,” Nishinoya protested, “We can just say it's like, clear, glow-in-the-dark paint or something.” He had no idea if something like that even existed, but he didn’t want to miss out on something like this just because of a little glow.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s exactly what it means, Nishinoya,” Akaashi pointed out. “But if we do go to some sort of club then the lights should be crazy enough to hide a little glow. And we can keep an eye out for it. Though I’m still not a big fan of the idea.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Theoretically, we’ll be fine,” Sugawara said, even if he wasn’t all too sure of the idea himself, “If anything, I’d say we’ve been overly cautious these past two years.” He’d rather risk a drunk memory than people suspecting them of something and letting their imaginations run wild. Not that their imagination would be anything close to the truth.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“We don’t want to end up like that kid who went missing,” Akaashi said simply. A heavy silence fell over the group as they recalled the story they’d been told in school. There were plenty of rumours about it, but they’d gotten a version from a teacher who knew him personally.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>One of the students went rogue, deciding on freedom before the safety of secrecy. He disappeared from the school; whether he ran away or was forced to leave, no one knew, and after a week he just dropped off the face of the planet. Some of the teachers speculated that he’d been caught by the government, or just straight up killed by them, but whatever happened, it certainly hadn’t been good.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I think we should go,” Iwaizumi said, “It’s only one night, and if anything happens, we won’t do it again. We just won’t have too much to drink until we know what it’s like. I’ll be sober, regardless.” His inability to get very drunk, have caffeine wake him up, or take painkillers sometimes came in handy. “We won’t end up like him. We have each other, and we’re not all idiots.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“There’s another reason why we shouldn’t,” Akaashi said, playing devil’s advocate, “If you can’t even get a little tipsy then we’ll stand out. Only Sugawara and I will genuinely fit in even if we do accidentally use our abilities.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Then we say I’m the designated driver. That’s normal, right?” Iwaizumi asked.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>This discussion went on and on, addressing every small thing that they thought could go wrong, even if the chances were extremely slim. Akaashi refused to agree until he had gone through everything that could go wrong and they had found a solution. Sugawara provided a couple of scenarios too, so they could work it out. It may have been a little ridiculous and over the top, but they had been thoroughly educated on what could happen if anyone found out about them.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Let’s sleep on it and come to a conclusion tomorrow when we’re more rested and everyone has had time to process,” Akaashi suggested, as they started to tidy everything away for the end of the day.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I think that’s the most responsible idea,” Iwaizumi said. And so it was decided.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. (S)hellstruck</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>“A happy soul is the best shield for a cruel world,”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After much discussion the following day, the four of them came to a decision (more begrudgingly on Akaashi’s behalf): they would settle any rumours about them by going out and testing the waters for a night. Surprisingly, after the initial decision was made, the four were pretty quick at deciding on the best place to go and when. The club was called Shellstruck, a place that all four of them had heard about. It was extremely popular, and no one looked twice at any weird things happening there because of how often things got out of hand. It was a miracle the place hadn’t been reported before.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>So that very same Friday, they all got ready to head out - having their usual starter drinks at home as they always did. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“C’mon guys, why’re you so tense? We’ll stick out even more if you don’t drink up and relax,” Nishinoya said, pointing at them accusingly as he sat back in his chair as he was at least two drinks ahead of them and a lot less worried about this idea. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He’d been eager from the start, and very much in favour of this night out and now this same eagerness was now rubbing off on the rest of them as they started to sink more into their seats and laughter started to disperse the tension in the room. Nishinoya’s ability to influence the people around him was coming in handy to alleviate any second thoughts the others were having.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Easier said than done,” Sugawara replied, mildly amused at Nishinoya’s now even louder personality. He supposed that was normal though, for drinking alcohol at least. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to relax just a little bit, even if he did have an extremely bad feeling about going out tonight. Then again, they’d had it drilled into them that secrecy was their primary concern when it came to their divine affiliation, so he was probably just anxious.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Why don’t we just head out? I’ve heard that the atmosphere at Shellstruck does wonders for this sort of thing,” Iwaizumi said, finishing his drink and setting the glass down on the side.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You’ve heard an awful lot about this place Iwaizumi…” Akaashi mused, glancing up from his drink to look between his friends. “I’m beginning to think you’re being a bad influence. Did Nishinoya finally get to you?” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Originally, he’d thought this whole thing would be an atrocious idea. Akaashi definitely didn’t want to be outed as a demigod, regardless of how unlikely it was that they’d be remembered. But now, with the help of a few drinks, he was coming round to the idea, however slow it was.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“The team talks. I can tell you about their … escapades if you’d like?” Iwaizumi shot a look over at Akaashi like he was almost challenging him to say yes. “I’ve heard far too much about flings and what ‘moves’ they pull.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Despite Akaashi’s efforts to stay collected, he felt his eyes widen ever so slightly. Whether it was because of the goddess he was related to, or just because he’d never really thought about any form of relationship with anyone, he didn’t need to hear anymore, and he shook his head.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“No need to elaborate, we can set off,” Sugawara finally snapped out of his conflicting thoughts at the discussion of more interesting themes. “Get this over and done with so we can say we’ve done it.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They each finished their drinks, and after persuading Nishinoya that he didn’t need another before they got there, they set off to search for their destination for the evening - Shellstruck.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Holy shit,” Nishinoya reacted in awe at the place. He giggled slightly when he looked up at the neon red lights that spelled the name of the club and the light on the ‘S’ was flickering. “Hellstruck,” he mused, bouncing slightly in excitement to get into the building.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You’d think with the amount of money this place brings in they’d be able to fix something like that,” He glanced over at Sugawara, who had a frown on his face, albeit a small one. “Relax. It’s just one night. We don’t have to come back.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I know, sorry. Just thinking,” Sugawara replied with a quick smile. He was getting that feeling again, the one that he had before something bad always inevitably ended up happening, but he wasn’t sure if it was real or just the tingling of the alcohol in his system.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t hurt yourself,” Iwaizumi replied almost immediately, nudging into Sugawara. “Tonight will be good.” He and Sugawara had been friends for the longest out of the four of them, knowing each other before they went to the academy to learn about the past.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sugawara sighed. They were all so sure about it that he couldn’t help but sort of agree with them, despite the protests of his more responsible side. Before he could even internally debate the reasoning behind his uncertainty, they were at the front of the line to get in and being ushered through the doors and into the large space after being given an invisible stamp that only showed under UV light.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Shellstruck, or Hellstruck as most of the patrons called it now, was known for its lavish interior that always seemed to stay sparkling clean no matter what time of the night it was. The main space was open and had an under glow that switched between warm colours of red, pink, and purple, as well as other lights that demanded everyone’s attention as they sped across the floor from one side of the room to the other. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>On the right side of the room was a small bar with a surprisingly short queue, the bartender flowing around the area with ease as he prepared drinks of various colours and sizes. Some of the drinks seemed like they weren’t even from this world - but everyone who picked up a glass from the bar seemed thoroughly content with what they had been given.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>But Sugawara’s attention was then taken away from the bar by the lights flickering around the other side of the room. There stood a few booths that looked like they were expensive to rent just for the privilege of sitting down and watching. But then again, they were all full of happy laughing people, so it was all a little disorienting to him.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>At the opposite end of the huge room towards the entrance on a platform above the floor was the DJ’s booth, surrounded by a warm golden colour that stood out from the rest of the room. On either side of the booth stairs led up to the second floor, which was an area off limits to all but those chosen by the owner of the club.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sugawara let out a sigh, and tried to relax, which strangely worked. The initial uneasiness of coming to a place like this was wearing off, and he smiled brightly at his friends as they made their way further into the space.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I think you guys might have been right this time. I was probably overthinking everything.” Sugawara had to raise his voice to be heard over the music- the same music that was seeping into his body and almost coaxing him into relaxing more.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course we’re right!” Nishinoya grinned in return, “Now let’s get some drinks!” Like they weren’t already moving towards the queue, following the crowds.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Wow, he’s pretty good,” Iwaizumi chuckled, watching the bartender, a man with pink hair - or was that just because of the glow in the room? The Ares demigod felt like he was in a trance while watching the man as he quickly made several drinks at once, seemingly appearing instantaneously in front of them. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“How’d you know what we want?” Akaashi asked, but he was pretty quiet, so Nishinoya repeated the question louder to the bartender, who just gave them a jaunty smirk and ushering them on their way, telling them that their stamps had been recorded and they’d have to pay at the end of the night when they left.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>As they followed the crowd, Akaashi pondered the answer the bartender had given him. Had he read them so easily, or was it that there was something in the drink that wasn’t normal…whatever that meant? He was so lost in his thoughts that when someone bumped into him, he wasn’t prepared and nearly got knocked over. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Any other time, without alcohol inhibiting his reactions, he’d have been fine. But because of this, he was perhaps a little cold to the arm that had wrapped around his shoulder and kept him upright. He just nodded in thanks and moved on, keeping his wits around him more than he had previously and sticking closer to his friends.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Nishinoya had no idea how they’d ended up in the middle of the room among others who were all moving as one with the music, but he found that he didn’t particularly care. The drink was amazing, the music was addictive, the company was more than ideal; he was definitely losing himself in the waves of music that swept over them.  </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Looking between his friends, he grinned as he recognised the signs that they were also enjoying themselves, even if to outsiders they looked awkward and not themselves. Though he also noticed they were all distracted by one thing or another. Not that he could blame them, Hellstruck was wonderful and felt like an entirely different world to both of the others they were used to.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sugawara was absentmindedly humming along to the music while he took regular sips of his drink that was decidedly sweeter than he would have normally gone for, but delicious nonetheless. He would never have guessed it had alcohol in it if he didn’t get it at a bar. Sometime while he was aimlessly looking around and people watching, his eyes met with a pair of bright, intelligent eyes on the second floor that he could almost immediately tell were sober. He had to concentrate a little harder to get his vision to focus on the face, but before he could, the figure disappeared from his line of vision.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The experience perturbed him, and yet there was no nagging sensation in the back of his mind that gave any indication of the motives behind the looks he had received.  Sugawara tried to brush it off as they could have been looking at anyone one the floor, but there was still a slight sense of uneasiness.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It was shortly forgotten, however, as the night picked up again and they became one with the crowd as the sound of bass echoed through empty minds and bodies controlled by the beat.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Morning after</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em> “Meet me in the middle of your story, when the soul is worn, but wise.” </em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Well shit, you look like you got hit by a train,” Iwaizumi commented when Sugawara appeared from his room relatively early, all things considered.</p><p> </p><p>“Good to know I look exactly how I feel then,” Sugawara replied with a sigh. “Do we have any coffee?” He needed something to wake him up, after scrapping his original plan to go on a walk and get some fresh air.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, you want a cup?” Iwaizumi asked, already moving to boil the kettle. “I’m glad I don’t have to deal with that. Guess I should be grateful for who I am.” While he undoubtedly missed out on getting to experience the buzz of getting drunk, he definitely did not think he was missing out this morning. </p><p> </p><p>“Gods, yeah, you should be. And I would kill for a cup of coffee right now, I’m gonna go back to sleep if I don’t and I refuse to turn into Nishinoya.  He’ll probably wake up at noon as usual,” Sugawara mused. </p><p> </p><p>If the others didn’t have hangovers like this, he was going to be more than a little miffed. But then again, he guessed that Akaashi drank the same amount as him, and Nishinoya drank more than the both of them combined. Iwaizumi could act all smug, but he understood exactly why Akaashi hadn’t left his room yet.</p><p> </p><p>A few moments later there was a steaming mug of coffee in his hand and he almost groaned as he took his first sip. Coffee always hit differently after a night of drinking, whether they stayed in or went out. While it was still bitter and hot, it was practically ambrosia. </p><p> </p><p>“Did you enjoy last night?” Sugawara asked Iwaizumi, relaxing back against the chair he was now sitting in. Honestly, Sugawara had enjoyed it, despite his reservations towards going out and losing control. The night had passed in the blink of an eye and he almost wanted to relive it once more.</p><p> </p><p>“It was certainly different to what I expected, but yes, I did. You looked like you had fun once you got past your worries,” Iwaizumi replied with a small smile, which immediately caught Sugawara’s attention.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh gods, what did I end up doing? Anything embarrassing?”</p><p> </p><p>“No, nothing embarrassing, it was just nice to see you relax again. You’ve been so stressed and caught up with classes it almost seemed like you’d forgotten what fun was like. You were turning into a Scrooge,” Iwaizumi replied, shaking his head.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Sugawara stifled a yawn as he headed out of the house, grateful to the cold bite of air that woke him up that little bit more, shocking him out of his own little world. He still felt the alcohol from the night before in his system, despite having showered and cleaned off every trace. It was almost like the substance lingered in his joints. He was still tired, not that it was all that surprising. He’d already gotten less sleep than any functional human being should have, leaving his body feeling sluggish as he wandered.</p><p> </p><p>What he hadn’t expected was to end up in the same place as he had been the previous night. He didn’t recognise it at first in the daylight. It looked like any other warehouse, just with a neon sign out front that wasn’t lit up. There was something about the place that unsettled him, but Sugawara couldn’t quite put his finger on it. Every time he thought he was getting close, it slipped away.</p><p> </p><p>After a few minutes, he decided to go and visit Akaashi’s coffee shop. He had always been a little jealous of Akaashi’s job, but he didn’t really mind. He was still earning money in the store he worked at, even if it was a lot more chaotic.</p><p> </p><p>“What can I get for you, most valued customer?” Akaashi asked dryly.</p><p> </p><p>“Honestly? Give me your strongest drink, I’m dying here,” Sugawara groaned, leaning against the counter, complaining to his friend despite already having coffee earlier.</p><p> </p><p>“Alright,” Akaashi chuckled, not envying Sugawara’s hangover.</p><p> </p><p>“How are you not suffering? You drank the same amount as me,” he protested slightly.</p><p> </p><p>“I guess I just don’t get hangovers. Or I have a higher tolerance than you do,” Akaashi suggested. “I wouldn’t dwell on it. Just don’t drink so much next time.”</p><p> </p><p>“That, I won’t do. I don’t even know what they put in those drinks. They barely tasted alcoholic,” Sugawara sighed. “I kind of want to go back though, so we can enjoy it properly. Now that we know what it’s like anyway.”</p><p> </p><p>“We can talk to the others about it. I don’t particularly like the idea, but I’m not entirely against it…” Akaashi mused, handing Suga his drink and shooing him off so he could serve other customers.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>Whether it was the drinks, the music, or the overwhelming atmosphere that made everyday life seem like a breeze, Sugawara didn’t know why they had returned. They were just supposed to come once to take suspicion off them. But here they were, back in the dark club with flashing lights and music that drowned out even the loudest of thoughts.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Holy hell! I forgot how amazing this place was!” Nishinoya laughed loudly as he finished his third, or was that his fourth drink from the club? Sugawara just rolled his eyes and gave a small smile. The Apollo demigod really did have an infectious effect on everyone’s mood. It was probably a good idea to have him around. The buzz that they felt was intensified and then at the end of the night they weren’t as far gone as they had originally thought.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Calm down, you’re going to start glowing,” Akaashi told the lively male. Nishinoya just shook his head. He just about had that under control. Sugawara saw Akaashi shake his head a little disapprovingly, but he still had that small smile on his face to say he was enjoying himself. It was nice to see that they all felt comfortable enough to enjoy themselves in a place like this.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Iwaizumi on the other hand, was off in his own little world, so Sugawara gave him a little nudge to bring him back down to earth.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Did you find your tipping point?” he asked with a slight laugh, only to receive a shake of his head in return, and the words ‘just thinking’ were mouthed back at him. Of course, Iwaizumi of all people would take this exciting atmosphere for time to think. But then Sugawara had no time to work out what he was thinking about before he found himself being pushed forwards towards Akaashi, eyes wide. Ah yes, he’d forgotten to pay attention to his surroundings.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Iwaizumi saw Sugawara heading for Akaashi, and another body following, and his immediate reaction was to help them both, but he only managed to support the stranger. His friend was being bodily caught by Akaashi and apologising profusely. He hadn’t even looked at the figure he was hauling back upright.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Watch where you’re dancing,” he grumbled to the taller stranger, finally making eye contact and blinking in surprise. They looked completely sober. And pretty, with chestnut hair and matching eyes that screamed mischief.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span> Had he been pushed by someone else?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ah, blame my friend here. I tripped over his foot~” they laughed lightly, patting Iwaizumi on the chest, before their expression fell and he looked around. “Oh- it seems like I’ve been abandoned…” He sighed and stood upright, apologising to Iwaizumi and then to Sugawara.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s alright. You said you’d been abandoned. Your friends left you?” Sugawara asked. He couldn’t imagine any of the four themever just disappearing off. Not when they had to keep each other in check with their…abilities. They could be classed as a curse in this situation he supposed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Pretty much. They’re pretty crappy friends, huh?” the stranger laughed. “I’m Oikawa by the way. Would you mind if I hung out with you guys until I see- if I ever see my friends again?” He looked pretty bashful by the way he asked, and Sugawara wasn’t getting a particularly bad vibe from him or anything. Just flirty and lonely, so he nodded.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t mind. Nice to meet you Oikawa, I’m Sugawara, this is Iwaizumi, Akaashi, and Nishinoya,” he introduced the group to the brunette. At least, Suga thought he was a brunette. He couldn’t tell from the dashing lights overhead that warped everything in that weird and wonderful way. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thanks!” Oikawa replied happily, almost immediately relaxing and settling himself into their group. Sugawara figured that being alone in a place like this would be pretty daunting with so many people around. He would have to make sure that none of the others wandered off when they came back here.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Wait, he was planning on coming back again? Well, it couldn’t hurt, it was a good way to let loose after all. If he was up to date on school work and didn’t have a shift at the shop then he couldn’t find a reason not to come. There was something about Hellstruck that seemed to fade everything else away, and it was easy to just exist and not think about anything else.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No problem!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Iwaizumi raised an eyebrow at the brunette, rolling his eyes. “You’re really clumsy.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And you’re built like a rock, what can I say?” Oikawa returned with a charming smile, laughing it off and nudging into Iwaizumi again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Just then, a hand appeared on Akaashi’s shoulder, causing him to jump in surprise.  He quickly turned his head and raised an eyebrow at the stranger.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey hey, I’m here to make sure this one’s not causing you any problems. Tooru’s a regular here, and well, he gets into trouble a lot.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tooru- oh, Oikawa?” Nishinoya asked, looking between the two strangers. The second one had pink, no blue, no red, hair. It must have been white then, and got darker at the roots. “Who’re you?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I work security here, so I know the regulars- name’s Bokuto. He’s not causing any issues then?” Bokuto asked, looking skeptically over at Oikawa who was just smiling like he had no care in the world. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, of course not. He’s just hanging out with us for a bit,” Sugawara replied over the music, still swaying slightly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If you say so. Just come and find me if he starts becoming a pain in your ass, cause he will at some point,” the bouncer told them, patting Akaashi’s shoulder and disappearing again. The Artemis demigod still thought it was weird how so many people were comfortable with having physical contact with strangers. That could have been his divine side talking, but he wasn’t comfortable with it. He was just about ok with his friends doing something like that.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That was…odd,” Iwaizumi stated, turning to Oikawa, “You sound like trouble.” He wasn’t accusing Oikawa per say, but more just trying to figure out what was going on. He didn’t expect to get a pout in return, never mind one that actually made him question his words.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Iwa-chan, that was mean,” Oikawa huffed. “I’m not trouble, I can tell you who is though! Like Mr. Security Guy said, I'm a regular so I know all the bad folk here.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t call me that,” Iwaizumi replied flatly. He didn’t need some childish nickname like that around him. “And as for the ‘bad folk’, leave them to it. We don’t want trouble.” Just then, they both turned towards the group, specifically to Nishinoya, who was grinning widely.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Stop being so serious. We’re here to have fun aren’t we?” Nishinoya asked. His overwhelming energy really did get to the people around them, and it was a side effect to his ability as an Apollo demigod. Thankfully it wasn’t too obvious in a place like this, but his mood affected everyone around him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re right. Iwaizumi, stop grilling our newcomer and let him have fun. That’s why we’re here,” Sugawara told Iwaizumi with a smile. “We’re all together, I doubt he can cause any serious damage in this situation.” Sugawara’s perception didn’t seem to be picking anything up for Oikawa, so he was happy to let him join them, even if it was just for tonight.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah Iwa-chan~” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Akaashi watched the entire exchange, smiling a little thanks to Nishinoya’s influence. He was eager for Iwaizumi to let loose as he usually never got the chance to. Perhaps someone interesting (to put it nicely) would be good for him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I said don’t call me that, Trashykawa.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So mean! I don’t look trashy!!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Even though the bouncer- Bokuto- had already left, Akaashi still felt like he had a hand on his shoulder, causing him to wonder what the bouncer was doing. He wasn’t dressed like a typical bouncer. Was he in charge of security or something? Akaashi sighed and forcibly pushed the thought out of his head. There was no need to get caught up about something that hadn’t happened yet, was there?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You look great, actually, Oikawa,” Sugawara complimented, “You’re a regular here, so you probably know what the true ‘fashion’ for clubbing is.” Suga was trying to be too logical and have a proper conversation, but in an atmosphere like this, it didn’t really work.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you flirting with me, or are you just new to the scene?” Oikawa laughed, smiling widely and laughing when Sugawara opened his mouth to reply but no words came out. “Relax, I’m teasing you! If you want to fit in more with the clothing department, I don’t mind helping you out!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You really are trouble,” Sugawara rolled his eyes and sighed. “I’m gonna get another drink, anyone wanna come with?” he asked. Akaashi volunteered, and the two of them left the chaos of bodies mixed with sweat, alcohol, and a sea of cologne and perfume.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you okay?” Akaashi asked, as they waited in the queue.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, just a bit drained. Oikawa has energy like Nishinoya. I don’t think being in the presence of two suns is good for anyone,” Sugawara explained. “But I think he’s okay. What about you? You’ve been pretty quiet?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mm, just a little perturbed by the bouncer and what happened. We need to stay cautious of other influences. Alcohol is bad enough on its own.” Sugawara supposed that made sense but he quite liked Oikawa, even if he was a lot to deal with. Hellstruck had become a place for all four of them to let loose. They didn’t need anything else distracting them from their objective of seeming normal to outsiders.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hm, escaping Nishinoya is something that always seems to ground me. His energy can be far too infectious,” Sugawara agreed. They got their drinks refilled before searching around for their friends in the sea of bodies. It didn’t take long since they hadn’t moved far. The difficult bit was getting jostled around with drinks in their hands.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey! You came back! Ooo, Makki gave you the premium ones this time,” Oikawa looked at their drinks with a raised eyebrow. “He’s real devious, can read your mood in like, a glance.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Makki?” Akaashi asked, confused. Who was the new guy talking about now?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The drinks guy, bartender.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t understand why he doesn’t just give people the most expensive drinks. Surely that would be the best route to take if they want the club to make money?” Akaashi returned.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He’s half the attraction of Hellstruck. Well, like, a third. The decor is pretty attractive too. And then there’s the owner but he’s always on the second floor watching over everything. Half the ladies here dress up because they want to get in his pants,” Oikawa ranted. “I get that he’s kinda attractive, but they’ve never even spoken to the guy. How do they know he’s not an asshole or a murderer. Only shady people run clubs.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The second floor…?” Sugawara spoke up, reminded of the first time they visited the club when he’d seen someone up there briefly, but then couldn’t find him again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, up there in the VIP lounges. You can’t go up there just because you have money. The owner has to invite you,” Oikawa explained. “I’ve tried to get up there several times. But that dumb bouncer always gets in my way. It’s like he just knows…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Dumb bouncer? Bokuto? He seemed to have his eye on you. Did you seduce him or something? And what’s up with the owner? Surely he wants more money. Why wouldn’t he accept money just to go up some stairs?” Nishinoya rambled.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I did not seduce him. He’s pretty cute but not my type. I like the strong, silent type. Anyways, Kuroo Tetsurou is the owner of Hellstruck. There are so many conflicting stories about him. Some say he’s the most gentlemanly persona ever, while others say his personality is so twisted that he loves to watch us up there while we writhe around below him on this floor,” Oikawa spoke with glamour, like he was telling some fantastical story.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Huh…you sure know a lot about this place,” Iwaizumi stated, raising an eyebrow. Akaashi noted that the two of them already seemed closer than when he and Sugawara left for drinks.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m nosy. I like to know everyone’s dirty secrets~” Oikawa hummed, smirking as he looked at Iwaizumi and tilted his head. “Do you have any dirty secrets Iwa-chan?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No. I’m just what you see,” Iwaizumi replied without missing a beat. All four of them were used to questions like this. They’d been shown how to hide their secret, and that included how to lie and push the conversation away from something like that. “It’s obvious that you have dirty secrets though.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Oikawa stepped back in surprise, blinking and shaking his head.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nope. You’ll never get anything out of me. Nothing at all!” Needless to say, not even a few moments later, Oikawa was spilling some secrets of the other patrons, causing the group to be curious but more so amused. that made the entire group curious. Though it was more amusing than anything. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Only Akaashi was cautious of how Oikawa knew so much about the patrons here. He didn’t think he’d quite fallen under the brunette’s spell as much as the other three had. He could see the appeal , and the amusement, but he was naturally overly cautious, and he never got close to people so quickly anyway. It was a testament to how long he’d been friends with Sugawara, Iwaizumi, and Nishinoya.</span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>The night continued on with as much energy as it had before, but with the added entertainment of Oikawa making a mild fool out of himself, even though it didn’t seem all that foolish in an atmosphere like this. He had managed to coax Iwaizumi into dancing more too, and Akaashi would have said it was flirting, if it weren’t for the insults that Iwaizumi was throwing at Oikawa every time the latter called him ‘Iwa-chan’.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Holy- guys, it’s like 3 AM!” Nishinoya spoke up as he checked his phone. The past two hours seemingly passed in a flash.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What? Crap, I have work tomorrow!” Sugawara swore with wide eyes. It didn’t not feel like it was that late at all.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We should probably start heading home then,” Akaashi replied. He was occupied with overthinking everything, so even for him it didn’t feel like it was that late.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Awwww, why can’t you guys stay longer?” Oikawa asked, pouting as he bumped into Iwaizumi on purpose. “I enjoyed spending time with you. You’re so much nicer than my friends.” Iwaizumi barely moved an inch at the movement, but when he returned the gesture, Oikawa stumbled a few steps.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We have things to do tomorrow, sorry. But if we see you again you’re more than welcome to join us,” Sugawara told Oikawa, smiling.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m going to be here the day after tomorrow?” Oikawa suggested, still looking slightly sad, even though he brightened when they said he could join them again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’ll think about it,. We we have lives outside of clubbing,” Iwaizumi responded, cutting Sugawara off who was straight out about to agree. They were drunk and needed some time to think about it when they were sober.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay, bye bye Iwa-chan~” Oikawa hummed and he slipped back into the crowd, probably to go and find his friends. Iwaizumi linked his arm with Sugawara to guide him out of the crowd while the other two followed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Akaashi was keeping an eye on Nishinoya, knowing how easy it would be for the shorter man to slip away with how short his attention span was. They were heading straight to the exit it seemed. The whole club was swarming with people and there was a huge buzz along with the mild pounding that was already filling Akaashi’s mind. He was grateful when they got to the quieter area near the exit, but then he was all of a sudden meeting the bright, sober gaze of the bouncer from earlier and saying thank you out of habit as they left.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“See you soon,” Bokuto hummed as Akaashi passed him. It seemed like it was both a happy and resented phrase, and in his tipsy state, Akaashi didn’t know what to make of it. Something impossibly complicated probably, considering Bokuto’s job. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“See you soon,” he replied, before he was confronted with cold, fresh air that took all the oxygen away from him for a brief moment. The spell of Hellstruck was broken for tonight, though Akaashi’s thoughts would remain inside the building until the next time they visited.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. K͑͟ụ̹̂̌r͕̞̀̂o̳o͎̱͌͊</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>“There is a beautiful thing inside you that is thousands of years old. Too old to be captured in poems. Too old to be loved by everyone, but loved so very deeply by a chosen few,”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The first time Kuroo Tetsurou took a soul, he was young. He was selfish and jealous.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He was inexperienced and it was messy.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kuroo hated his power. To nullify other godly abilities? What use was that if he couldn’t overpower them? To put it bluntly he was weak without someone else to do his bidding. He was weak because he had to rely on that. The whimsical word of someone who thought they were better than him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He was a son of Hades. No one looked down at him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Especially not the demigod of Zeus, nor the demigod of Poseidon.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Who did they think they were?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His brothers? That was humorous.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Research. That was what he did. He read every book there was. There was nothing.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Absolutely nothing.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Wait.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>What was that? A soul? Was this the answer to all of his questions?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was barely a scrap of paper. Like someone had ripped it out of a book in a hurry. Was this it? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Three brothers, unique in strength and status. Only they could see souls. A soul is the very essence of someone’s being; integral to who they are. And yet, the body may survive without a soul. The opposite is not true. The soul cannot survive without a body […] There is regular debate: If one can see a soul, is there not a way to touch it? Rainbows can be seen, but not touched. Not unless you class touching the water droplets that made the rainbow […] What would happen if you took a soul? Could it survive if it was plucked from the living?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A soul.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>If you can see it, you can touch it. If you can touch it, you can take it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>For the first time ever, Kuroo did not hate his power. He resented it, but it was useful.</span>
</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. The owner of Hellstruck</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>“The same people who are candy to our eyes can be poison to our hearts. Study their ingredients before you feed them to your soul.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sugawara worked part time at the local store to earn enough money to survive through university and to now accommodate what seemed to be a new hobby. He’d been to Hellstruck with his friends multiple times now, and it was sometimes hard to say no. It really was fun, and it gave them a break from their hectic day to day lives of studying non-stop. It had taken a couple of visits for his initial worry to wear off. They were relatively safe from exposing anything, though there had been a few close calls with Nishinoya and his excitement.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“That comes to £20.34,” he said to the customer out of habit. This was his last customer before he moved off the till and to restocking any shelves that were empty.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“No, you’re wrong, it should only come to £20.24,” they answered back, which snapped Sugawara out of his usual trance of autopilot.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“No sir, its thirty four. You said you needed two bags, they are five each,” he explained politely, expecting this to go downhill quickly. Just as the customer opened his mouth to speak back at him, and Sugawara could practically see the well rehearsed excuses that he was going to get, someone else spoke up. The next person in the queue. Sugawara didn’t even see them at first.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You should have seen the signs around store. It’s not his fault, so pay for your bags and move along. Don’t be ungrateful to someone who’s just doing their job.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sugawara hadn’t expected something like that. Usually he’d have to deal with two people complaining and agreeing on now having to pay for plastic bags. His current customer looked like a fish for a moment, mouth opening and closing before they quickly paid and moved on.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you. You didn’t need to step in like that. I would have dealt with it,” Sugawara turned to face his new customer and raised an eyebrow. One gold eye and messy black hair covering the other. He felt like he’d seen that before.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“No worries. It would have been a long convoluted way. I don’t have any obligation or reflection on this stores reputation so it was easier,” the customer replied, smirking slightly, but it was in a weirdly kind way. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t mean to sound rude,” Suga started as he scanned the items. He’d told himself that the last customer was his last one on till, but he couldn’t pass up a conversation with this guy. “But do I know you?” he asked curiously. He wished he hadn’t asked the question when he saw an amused expression on the mans face as he raised an eyebrow.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, that depends. My name is Kuroo Tetsurou. And yours is Sugawara if your name tag is correct,” Kuroo replied, “Does that ring any bells?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Of course it did. The moment he said the name, everything came flooding back. This was the guy he’d seen on the second floor on the first night they’d gone to Hellstruck, and it was also the name that Oikawa had dropped the other night when he was talking about what made the club so attractive.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Hm…you’re the owner of Hellstruck, aren’t you?” Suga asked. He couldn’t help but scan the items slower just to prolong the conversation he was having with Kuroo.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Shellstruck. The S on the sign doesn’t really work,” Kuroo corrected.. Of course everyone called it Hellstruck, but he had a slight obligation to correct people at least once. “But yes, that’s me. I recognised you immediately of course. I know all my regular patrons.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“What?” Sugawara replied, unsure as to what to say. “You recognise me?” he asked. “Out of all those people? You know them all?” He didn’t know whether that was a compliment, creepy, or just freaky. If Kuroo really did know all those people, then how did he have room in his head for anything else?.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course. When Oikawa joined your little party the other night I paid close attention. He can be a piece of work sometimes, but he’s been a lot better behaved recently,” Kuroo replied. Sugawara still had no idea what to think.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You know Oikawa too?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course. He’s a troublemaker. I like to know all the trouble going on in my establishment. You’ve stopped scanning. Is everything okay?” Kuroo asked. That snapped Sugawara out of his trance and he flushed in embarrassment as he looked down, finishing his real job.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Everything is fine. I just wasn’t expecting to meet you here,” Sugawara replied quietly, bagging the last item. “That’s £15.59 please.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“No, it should be £15.49,” Kuroo replied with a smirk on his face as he teased Sugawara who just blushed and shook his head.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Would you rather carry these without bags?” he asked with a raised eyebrow. He felt more comfortable teasing Kuroo in return since he seemed a lot nice and they’d actually had a conversation.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Now that’s just cruel. I didn’t take you as a cruel person Sugawara,” Kuroo chuckled, paying the full amount.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I guess you just bring it out of me,” Sugawara responded, handing Kuroo his change and pushing the bags closer to him.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Ouch, no bark, all bite. Well, I hope to see you soon, Sugawara,” Kuroo hummed, smiling slightly over his shoulder as he left the store. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sugawara sighed deeply and almost slumped back against his seat while he shut down his till. He could go and hide among the shelves while he considered what had just happened. Since when did someone like Kuroo Tetsurou shop at a corner store like this? Since when did someone like Kuroo Tetsurou recognise someone like him? It just wasn’t possible. He had to be having some kind of fucked up nightmare…right? He’d have to discuss it with Iwaizumi  or Akaashi later.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sugawara was hiding in the shelves and currently restocking stationary, which was probably the most tedious of the jobs that he had. But it was about half an hour until the store closed for the night and Sugawara just wanted to go home and study before he slept. But as luck would have it, that probably wasn’t going to happen as he heard someone clear their throat behind him.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Hello- oh Kuroo?” Sugawara was taken by surprise and all the complicated things he was thinking and feeling earlier just felt like they were dumped on him again. “What can I do for you? Did you forget to purchase something?” he asked, hoping that’s all this was.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“No, I didn’t forget to buy anything. I was thinking during today and I’ve come to a decision,” Kuroo told Sugawara, remaining completely obscure and incomprehensible to the latter.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“…A decision about what?” Sugawara asked cautiously. He remembered Oikawa telling them that Kuroo had been described as both a perfect gentleman but also as someone that they didn’t want to cross.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Would you like to join me on the second floor the next time you visit my establishment?” Kuroo asked.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I- what?” Sugawara asked. “I mean- I usually go with my friends. Can they-”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Join you? No. My offer only extends to you,” Kuroo told Sugawara with a smile. “I’ll let you think about it. If you accept my offer, just find Bokuto or ask Hanamaki- the bartender to show you up.” With that, Kuroo smiled again.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay, I’ll think about it. Thank you for the offer,” Sugawara replied. He felt like he shouldn’t be discussing this while he was on shift, but he had been, and there was no way to say no to something Kuroo had said. It was perplexing. Regardless of what he actually thought, there was something about the club owners presence that just quashed all denials or rebukes against him.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I very rarely invite people upstairs, so you should take my offer seriously. I’ll see you the next time you visit,” Kuroo told Sugawara, turning on his heel and walking straight out of the store without even buying anything. That meant that the only reason he had come back was to invite Suga up to the second floor. To the VIP area that next to no one ever got to go to.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>————————</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The second Sugawara got home, he collapsed on the closest sofa and groaned. Three pairs of eyes watched him collapse and they were all curious. Sugawara had arrived home late after taking a detour to clear his mind, but it had just ended up making everything so much more complicated.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Bad day at work?” Akaashi asked first, breaking the silence that wasn’t necessarily awkward, but more expectant than anything.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Not bad. I just had the weirdest day ever and I’m not even sure half of it was real,” Sugawara replied with a sigh. “Who’s making dinner tonight?” he asked.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Do tell us!” Nishinoya told Sugawara before raising an eyebrow. “You’re on dinner duty tonight. Did you forget?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Yes, Sugawara had forgotten. He had been so preoccupied with thoughts of Kuroo that dinner hadn’t even been on his mind. He was just so undecided on what to do. It was almost threatening, but also so alluring that Sugawara didn’t know what to do.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll cook tonight. You seem like you need a break,” Iwaizumi offered, from his position in the doorway, and Sugawara smiled appreciatively.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you Hajime. I really do just want to sleep.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll cook tonight, if you tell us what happened to make your day so weird,” Iwaizumi corrected, causing Sugawara to groan again.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay okay. Kuroo Tetsurou came into the shop,” he explained. “He came in and saved me from an awkward and horrible customer earlier on and then he came back about half an hour before I left to invite me to join him on the second floor in Hellstruck for the night.” There was silence for a moment before a low whistle from Nishinoya broke the silence.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s some exciting stuff. I can imagine you’re exhausted!” he grinned. “Are we gonna go up then? Do we get to see the elusive second floor?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“No. He said…he said that the offer was for me only,” Sugawara corrected, “Which is why I didn’t say yes. He told me to think about it and then make my decision the next time we go…” The room fell silent again. The only sound this time was from the hob where Iwaizumi was starting to cook dinner.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“So what are you going to do?” Akaashi asked. “Going up alone is dangerous, and you know it’s risky going somewhere new alone. Especially in a place like that when Oikawa described Kuroo as someone who could potentially be very dangerous.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I know. But I also think that messing around the owner of the club we go to could be a very bad idea,” Sugawara told them. “I really do not know what to do…” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They spent the evening discussing what to do, and how they would go about it, when Nishinoya brought up something they should have thought about earlier.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Didn’t you use your vibey motive thing on him?” he asked, and Suga raised an eyebrow, feeling kind of like an idiot.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I did, but I didn’t get any bad mojo off him. Even so, he almost sounded like he was threatening me? But not in a bad way? I don’t know. I’ve never been in a situation like this. The only reason we go to Hellstruck is so we seem like normal university students. This was unprecedented.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Silence fell over them again, and Iwaizumi interrupted this time.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Dinner is ready. You should eat. Hunger is not helping you make decisions,” he told Sugawara. “Also, I may or may not have Oikawa’s phone number if you want to talk to him about what he knows about Kuroo?” That completely flipped the topic of conversation since Sugawara, Akaashi and Nishinoya wanted to know why Iwaizumi of all people had Oikawa’s phone number.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“When did this happen?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Have you been texting?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“No, stop asking questions. He slipped his phone number into my pocket and I found it when I got home last night,” Iwaizumi told them. “This isn’t about me, it’s about Suga.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh no, you can’t just put this one off you. Oikawa is into you, it’s plain as day. Why won’t you go for him?” Nishinoya told him. “And it’s not as though you don’t swing that way. We all do to different extents.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Iwaizumi’s brow furrowed as he tried to work out what they wanted from him.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ve known him for one night and you expect me to be in love with the guy?” he asked, “It’s gonna take a lot longer than that, and with someone who isn’t so much of a flirty playboy.” Honestly though, he just didn’t know him. They’d spoken briefly by text, just to confirm numbers and ask about how bad hangover were, but apart from that, there really hadn’t been anything interesting to discuss with him.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Maybe when we go back tomorrow, you can have some adult talk time with Oikawa, Sugawara can go and cuddle up to Kuroo and me and Akaashi will just chill on the dancefloor!” Nishinoya suggested, thinking that it was a wonderful idea. Of course, it wasn’t.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“And split us all up? You know that we’re safer together, and going off with strangers isn’t exactly the smart thing to do,” Akaashi told him, “So I say we stick together. Iwaizumi can spend time with Oikawa, with us, and I can always track Sugawara if he wants to go to the second floor.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>When did clubbing get so complicated?</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I think that sounds like a plan. Just…no one get distracted. We should probably drink less than usual if this is going to happen,” Sugawara suggested.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>As demigods, they had to plan everything out. There was nothing spontaneous or it upset their balance. Not to mention that they all needed to watch each others’ backs too. They only had each other, and they had to keep the secrets under any circumstance. It may have seemed like overkill, but it was just a part of their life with how paranoid they could be. Any indication of the supernatural and they would most likely be taken off as lab rats somewhere to be tested on to find out what it was that made them special and different.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Ķ̷͑u̷͙͛r̵͉͌o̴̢o̶̜͠</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>“Free will carried many a soul to hell, but never a soul to heaven,”</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Kuroo licked his lips before taking a shaky breath. This was it. He swallowed down any uncertainty that threatened to hold him back. He was doing this. There was no turning back now.</p><p>If he could see it, he could touch it. If he could touch it, he could take it.</p><p>It was surprisingly east to get his ‘brother’ alone. They suspected nothing of course. Kuroo was too careful. He knew the risks, but the reward was just to great for him. Too tempting. Not to mention, once he had Zeus and Poseidon, there would be no one else in the living world that could take his soul in revenge. His life? Potentially. But highly unlikely.</p><p>It was worth it.</p><p>The moment his gaze locked with Zeus’ demigod, everything faded. The difference between success and failure was intent and resolve. The years of repressed frustration, inferiority and hate bubbled to the surface. But Kuroo hadn’t expected this.</p><p>He hadn’t really expected anything, but it was like he wasn’t even in his own body anymore. He could see his target, a silvery glow that was undoubtedly a soul, but it wasn’t his. His was in his own chest, practically oozing his long suppressed feelings.</p><p>Kuroo reached out with an arm that didn’t feel like his and without missing a beat, he wrapped his hand around the soul. Somewhere he heard a sharp exhale, like someone had just been winded. A small smirk of satisfaction gripped Kuroo and wouldn’t let go. He wanted his brother to feel this.</p><p>He licked his lips again, this time more to do with the greed of what he was doing. He pulled the soul away from its body.</p><p>“What would happen if you took a soul? Could it survive if it was plucked from the living?”</p><p>Well, he was about to find out. The second the wispy orb left the confines of the body, it started spreading out, like a fog, and Kuroo’s eyes narrowed at it. The fog looked like it was trying to return to its owner.</p><p>So he was fighting back?</p><p>Kuroo’s fist tightened around the soul and he pulled it closer to himself, reaching out with the other hand to gather the wisps as he hardened his resolve. He didn’t have time to appreciate the ‘beauty’ of what he’d just achieved, because he was falling out of whatever world they were in, and he found himself back in the dimly lit room, staring at his brother.</p><p>He looked down at his hands, to find that there was indeed a soul there. The very same from where they’d just been. A slight laugh escaped him as he realised what he’d done.</p><p>He’d taken a soul. The soul existed outside of a body if it was taken.</p><p>But now what? There was a part of him that was curious. What would happen if one body had two souls?</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>CHECK OUT THE AMAZING ARTWORK FOR THIS CHAPTER HERE:</p><p>https://twitter.com/ledd_djva/status/1369667362195136512</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Dodging a bullet?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>“The eyes are the windows to the soul.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After a lot of discussing and some painful teasing, the group decided to go back to Hellstruck with a plan in mind. They were pretty tense and anxious about everything, or at least, Sugawara was. He didn’t know what to expect, or how he was even going to find Bokuto or talk to Hanamaki when all he did was make drinks without talking to the customers. They had decided against calling Oikawa, having only ever met him once, they didn’t know what he was like sober either. He could have been an entirely different person. When the four of them arrived at the club, they waited outside to talk for a few moments.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you feeling okay?” Iwaizumi asked, putting a reassuring hand on Sugawara’s shoulder, who nodded in response.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll be fine. I’m just overthinking everything I think,” he replied with a sigh. “We should still have a good night and not let this stress us out. You should have fun with Oikawa, and I’ll try and have fun wherever I end up too, yeah?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“It sounds like you’re pretty excited about this, Sugawara?” Akaashi asked with a small smile. “I’ll keep an eye on you and the others too.” He was the most responsible one who wasn’t going to be preoccupied with anyone. Or so he thought.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I am a little excited, if I’m being honest,” he replied with a slightly bashful expression. He also felt a bit guilty that his friends couldn’t come up to the second floor with him too, but they seemed absolutely okay with it, so that alleviated some of the guilt.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Then let’s go!” Nishinoya perked up, bouncing on his feet as he turned towards the entrance.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, wait! Iwa-chan! How could you forget about me!” a familiar voice called towards them, and they turned to see Oikawa approaching them.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Well it’s not like you told us what time you were going to be here,” Iwaizumi replied with a roll of his eyes, sighing and turning back to the entrance, only to have Oikawa drape himself over him.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“So mean~” Oikawa huffed, and the group headed inside. They put their coats in the cloakroom before heading into the main club. As always, it was bright and vibrant. Like a whole different world. Even before they were on the dance floor, Oikawa was already swaying to the music and humming along. Sugawara nudged Iwaizumi and raised an eyebrow.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Have fun,” he said just loud enough for Iwaizumi to hear, and he got a nod in response, with a slight hint of a smile. Sugawara knew that despite his hard cold outer layer, Iwaizumi did like Oikawa. It was only one night, but their new friend had energy and a sort of glow that Sugawara knew Iwaizumi was drawn to.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You too,” Iwaizumi returned, nodding up to the second floor.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Finding Bokuto was harder than Sugawara anticipated, and it was actually Akaashi that found him first, which wasn’t surprising, considering he could track anyone he had a connection to.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“There. Come on, we’ll go over and get his attention. Nishinoya, keep an eye on Oikawa and Iwaizumi,” Akaashi told him, before Sugawara and Akaashi made their way over to where the bouncer was standing.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re later than you usually are,” Bokuto told them with a grin as he gave them their stamps. “Something keep you away?” he asked, focusing on the Artemis demigod. Of course, Akaashi was the one he was closest to, despite having only spoken to the group a few times.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Not particularly, we just ended up here tonight at this time. Oikawa took some time to get ready before we came in, and Sugawara got home later from work,” Akaashi replied. He thought it was a little weird that Bokuto knew when they arrived or left the club. Then again, it was his job.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s understandable. I’m gonna guess that you’re here because you wanna go upstairs?” Bokuto asked, tilting his head slightly as he turned his attention to Suga. “Kuroo is waiting for you.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, that’s why we’re here. But he did say that only I was allowed up…so I just want to make sure Akaashi gets back to our friends safely too,” Sugawara replied, almost hesitantly, and Bokuto just grinned in response, which was both reassuring and not so assuring too.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t worry about that!” Bokuto replied. “You can both come, then I’ll take care of ‘kaashi. How’s that sound?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Suga didn’t get any bad vibes or motivations off of Bokuto, so he trusted that Akaashi would be fine. Considering they’d been to the club several times now, Sugawara was just as nervous as the first time. Perhaps that was just because he now had the attention of Kuroo - the owner - of the club. There was something disconcerting about the fact.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Alright. Let’s go,” Sugawara agreed, signaling for the group to head towards the stairs that were almost religiously blocked by at least two bouncers. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Upstairs of Hellstruck was completely different than anything Sugawara would have imagined. It was quiet to start. Soundproof walls kept the loud music of the main room to a minimum. The reverberation of the bass through the floor was the only thing that told Sugawara that he was still in the same place and that he hadn’t blacked out in some weird magic trick.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Everything was still religiously clean and mirrored the main room, but it was better lit and looked more like a business from this point of view. No wonder only a few people ever got invited up here. And he had no idea why Kuroo had asked him of all people. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“This…” Sugawara started, but couldn’t finish. He didn’t really know how to. It was completely off the charts.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Isn’t what you expected? Yeah, Kuroo has weird tastes. This is all for him I guess. The main room is for customer pleasure and whatnot. ‘S why not many people come up here,” Bokuto finished, humming as he opened the door to the balcony over the dance room. The music got louder again, but he could see now that there was glass between them and the room, which quietened everything to a level where someone could have a conversation at a normal speaking level.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Sugawara Koushi. You made the right decision then,” Kuroo greeted from where he was sitting. “Drink?” he offered. It was then that Sugawara noticed the layout of the table, and Kuroo himself. There was a probably expensive bottle of champagne on the table with a couple of glasses, and an empty seat he could only assume was for him. What was this to Kuroo?</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Well I made a decision. We’ll see if it’s the right one,” Sugawara replied with a hum. He really didn’t know yet. Kuroo had seemed nice enough at the shop the other day. Maybe he was looking too much into all of this. He should trust his ability. He wasn’t getting any sketchy or less than honest vibes from Kuroo, or Bokuto. So while he was hesitant, he guessed it was probably down to nerves.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Kuroo laughed at Sugawara’s response and gestured to the empty seat.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t be like that. What do you think? Some sort of business meeting? Please, I like to have a bit of fun every so often myself. Though I’m not sure I’d be safe down there. Not when I own the place…” Kuroo sighed, looking down at the crowd.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>From here it looked like one mass that all moved at the same time to the music, like it was being controlled by the bass.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I guess I’m just not sure what to do. I’m not a frequent visitor to clubs or anything. And especially being invited to a VIP area…” Sugawara trailed off. “But I suppose I should thank you for the invitation regardless of what your intentions are.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sugawara couldn’t help but see the similarities between him and Kuroo, even if they were completely different too. Then both had reservations about things. Kuroo about delving into the world he’d made in the club, and Suga about delving into the history of what he was. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re welcome. There are no intentions here. You just seemed like you had a story. Something interesting about yourself. After watching thousands…possibly millions of people make their way through here, you sort of learn how to read them,” Kuroo explained at the look Suga gave him.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t really have a story. I’m just a regular student…” Sugawara replied simply. That was a lie, but it’s not like he could tell Kuroo about himself. That would cause chaos in any world. Not to mention that it seemed like Bokuto at least would do anything for the man he was sitting with. Speaking of, the bouncer was now nowhere to be seen and he hoped that Akaashi was okay.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Everyone has a story. Some are just more interesting than others,” Kuroo replied with a chuckle before taking a sip out of the glass he was holding. “Help yourself. It’s on the house.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>For some reason, Sugawara found that much more amusing than he should have. On the house. Kuroo was the one that had invited him up here. If it wasn’t on the house he’d be complaining probably.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Well why don’t you tell me yours,” Sugawara returned the question, only to see the same gaze he’d seen on the first night here. Hungry, intelligent and- the expression was gone before Suga could even register anything else. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, well that’s a long story. You’d have to come back and talk to me another time for me to finish it,” Kuroo replied, almost flirtatiously, and Sugawara would have thought he was being serious if not for the tone of voice he was using.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you flirting with me Kuroo Tetsurou?” Suga asked him. How Kuroo knew which way Sugawara swung was beyond him, but it was amusing.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Now why would you think that? I’m just trying to make conversation with someone I find interesting. You caught my attention the moment you and your friends stepped into this building, and I’m just trying to work out why. It’s curious. I’ve seen every sort of person this world has to offer, and yet I just can’t put my finger on it,” Kuroo replied, and Sugawara was sure that those were the most honest words Kuroo had spoken all night.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Honestly, I don’t know what you think is different about me, but I’m just a university student living with my friends who decided that they wanted to thrown themselves into a club to see what it was like,” Sugawara replied. He was starting to get nervous that Kuroo knew something was up. But how could he? He’d only spoken to him once, and the four of them had been incredibly careful to hide what they were while they’d been here. If anyone was going to get caught, it was Nishinoya, which was why they’d kept such a close eye on each other.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>There was a sort of silence that fell over them, and it was like even the music from below had just disappeared. All that existed was what was in this room, and Sugawara felt hyperaware of it all. In order to seem natural, he picked up the glass and took a sip from it. As he guessed, it was very good quality. Nothing like the drinks the bartender, Hanamaki was what Kuroo had called him, made.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Alright, if you say so. I guess I’m just curious about you then,” Kuroo replied a few moments later, after seemingly having mulled everything over in his head.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“What do you want to know?” Sugawara asked. He could play along to some game, or just work his way out of the whole situation.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Let’s start with what you study?” Kuroo asked, sighing and smiling slightly when he looked over at Sugawara, which in no way was good for him. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He had already admitted to himself that he found Kuroo attractive. Who wouldn’t? He was tall, dark and mysterious. Everyone at the club wanted to meet him, and somehow after only a few times at the club, Sugawara had been chosen. He almost forgot that he’d been asked a question.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh! I study literature. No specific literature, just all of it. I like to read. I’ve always been a sort of bookworm…” he explained. “Did you ever go to university?” Sugawara asked.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Literature. There are a lot of secrets writers don’t want you to know about them, but their story is always hidden somewhere among the pages of their works,” Kuroo hummed. “It’s an interesting subject. And yes, I’ve been to university. Multiple times…”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>That answer took Sugawara by surprise, and he just raised an eyebrow, curious as to what he meant.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Let’s just say it didn’t agree with me,” he explained cryptically, which only made Sugawara all the more curious.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“What did you end up studying?” Sugawara asked.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“History, then literature, then philosophy. I’ve tried a lot of courses…but they weren’t the right ones,” Kuroo explained with a laugh. “Literature was interesting, but I didn’t agree with anything my teacher was saying about the works, so I had to leave…”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>In Sugawara’s eyes, that was perfectly reasonable. Sometimes he disagreed with his teacher, but he didn’t say anything, because most of the time they were on the same wavelength.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re braver than I am. I wouldn’t speak up when I disagree about something in a class full of people…” Suga told Kuroo, relaxing a little now that they were talking about a topic that did not lead to something to do with a demigod or anything to do with gods or mythology.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“We were reading Song of Achilles and I just didn’t agree with any of the interpretations of the teacher. They were reading far too much into the book,” Kuroo explained, sighing and leaning back in his seat. After a moment, he looked back over at Suga, who was internally facepalming. Perhaps they wouldn’t leave the topic. The world was out to haunt him in the worst ways.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t think I’ve read that one. I don’t enjoy mythology so much, though I know a fair amount about it from a course I did not long ago,” Sugawara explained. “My favourite book a the moment has to be some classic like Of Mice and Men.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It was disconcerting how Kuroo watched him, like he was trying to analyse him. Sugawara felt like a mouse under the gaze of a hungry cat.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Interesting. Sacrifice in the face of a larger dream…” Kuroo replied. “Steinbeck is a good writer, both literal and moral…”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The two of them fell silent and Sugawara took a bigger drink from his glass. He was going to need it if they kept looping round to the gods.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You work part time at the store…when you’re a literature student? Could you not tutor kids?” Kuroo asked, and Suga was surprised and taken aback at the sudden topic change. Not to mention that Kuroo was actually being considerate and thinking about him.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh…I don’t want to become a teacher. I’d quite like to write myself, though I wouldn’t mind working with children if that doesn’t work out,” Suga explained. “The store pays well, and it’s close to home…”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“The store also has rude customers that complain no matter what happens,” Kuroo pointed out, before there was a more comfortable silence between them.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Why did you really ask me to come up here?” Sugawara asked finally. He wasn’t getting any bad vibes off of Kuroo, whether he used his ability or not, so he was exceptionally curious.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You caught my eye. I wanted to learn more about you. And while I don’t think this is necessarily something that can be classed as a date, we’re spending time together, alone,” Kuroo told Sugawara with a small smile as he took another drink.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“That-” Suga didn’t know what that was, but Kuroo had mentioned a date, which totally threw him off. “You’re weird.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“So people say. But I suppose people say a lot of things,” Kuroo hummed in response. “Is it weird to want to spend time with someone? I didn’t think so…”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s not, but inviting them within your own establishment is a little weird,” Sugawara corrected. “You caught me off guard with that one.” He was almost blushing at the thought that the man sat next to him mentioned classing this as a date, or not, but that wasn’t the point. Kuroo grinned wider, and Suga couldn’t help the fact this his chest tightened weirdly.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Then next time you’ll allow me to be a little more normal and chat to you over food or something?” Kuroo asked, raising an eyebrow. Sugawara couldn’t help but think he walked straight into that one.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Maybe…we’ll see,” Sugawara replied, not wanting to commit to anything. How could he, when his friends came first? They had to stick together, otherwise they’d be so much weaker. Kuroo paused for a moment and eyed Sugawara with something that he could only describe as mild interest and something a little more indiscernible.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Here. Let me know whether you’ll take me up on my offer,” Kuroo reached into his pocket and pulled out a card. “I have to go and attend to business, and I think you want to get back to your friends. Keep hold of that.” He stood up and straightened out his jacket. Sugawara followed suit after taking the card and looking it over.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Dusk</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>
  <em>"I'll never be that me again,"</em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Akaashi had waited for Bokuto to return downstairs from where Suga was now with Kuroo. At least that’s what he hoped had occurred, for he had no way of knowing, and he was skeptical about the honesty of any club like this.</p><p> </p><p>“Everything okay?” Bokuto asked when he reached the bottom of the stairs. “You don’t need to worry about your friend, he’s with the big boss. No one would even dare try to take advantage of him!”</p><p> </p><p>And that didn’t alleviate any of Akaashi’s worries, because the way Bokuto spoke, there were still people to take advantage of Sugawara, or any of his friends. And even if they tried, they would reach a gruesome end. But then again, in a place like this, that wouldn’t be a good thing. An audience to watch them use their abilities was the last thing they needed.</p><p> </p><p>“-shi? Akaaaashiiii,” Bokuto called, waving a hand in front of his face.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, sorry. I just zoned out,” he replied, shaking his head, raising an eyebrow slightly at the almost accusatory grin on Bokuto’s expression.</p><p> </p><p>“Has someone had too much to drink?” Bokuto asked with that tone of voice someone would use with a child when they had done something wrong.</p><p> </p><p>“No. I have only had one drink,” Akaashi cut him off and started walking back to the hoards of people to try and find Iwaizumi, Nishinoya and Oikawa. </p><p> </p><p>“Hey! Wait up. I told your friend I would take you back to your friends!!”</p><p> </p><p>“Well you’re doing a wonderful job of it,” Akaashi almost snapped sarcastically. He didn’t like being alone, but he also didn’t like being somewhere and leaving Nishinoya with just Iwaizumi to watch him while Oikawa was around. Everything was going too fast in his mind and he felt like it was his first day out of the academy again. He was paranoid about everything.</p><p> </p><p>Without Suga to support him or Nishinoya’s extension of emotions he was a rigid mess who just wanted everything to be okay.</p><p> </p><p>“They’re over here,” Bokuto told Akaashi with a hum, grabbing the demigod’s wrist and pulling him in the right direction, over to Iwaizumi. Akaashi just sighed and followed Bokuto. Perhaps he had been a bit too harsh.</p><p> </p><p>“Thank you,” he said quietly, unsure whether Bokuto heard over the music that was currently reverberating through his entire body. </p><p> </p><p>“You’re welcome!! I did promise! I just didn’t realise you’d be so tense without your friends. I guess you’re pretty loyal to them huh?” Bokuto asked loudly, easily heard over the music. It was nice to not have to strain his ears to hear, and Akaashi smiled slightly.</p><p> </p><p>“We’re pretty close, and we trust each other implicitly with everything,” Akaashi explained. “It’s just that I don’t know what else to do. Making new friends isn’t my strong point either.” He didn’t know why he was saying any of this to the bouncer, but then again, he promised to get him back to his friends, and what was the chance that he would spill all of this to anyone?</p><p> </p><p>“I think you need another drink,” Bokuto said randomly, shaking his head at Akaashi. “You’re thinking too hard, and you’re supposed to have fun at a club like this. Makki is an expert when it comes to drinks, even if they’re nonalcoholic. He can help you relax regardless.”</p><p> </p><p>“Makki?” Akaashi asked, while he processed what Bokuto had said. Why was he even considering it? It wasn’t something he wanted while he was on serious duty with his friends. Or was he? Was it time that they relaxed and started trusting this establishment?</p><p> </p><p>“The bartender that doesn’t talk or take requests,” Bokuto explained, chuckling. “Come on, you don’t need to drink it, but if you have it then you can relax when you wanna.” Akaashi supposed that was true. And Bokuto was a bouncer, so he wasn’t going to do anything dangerous or weird in front of people.</p><p> </p><p>“Alright, to the bar we go,” he agreed reluctantly. There was something about this place that set him to the extremes. He relaxed quickly, trusted quicker, and yet he was more paranoid than ever. He could also find his friends if he really needed to by using his ability. But he didn’t want to draw any unwanted attention to himself. </p><p> </p><p>Bokuto still hadn’t let go of Akaashi’s wrist as they headed over to Makki, or Hanamaki as Akaashi knew him as.</p><p> </p><p>“You say he knows non-alcoholic drinks, but he just gives people exactly what they want. So what if that’s not what I want?” Akaashi asked.</p><p> </p><p>“That’s his thing. I work here, he’s not a mute or a douche with me,” Bokuto told Akaashi. After a few moments of talking to Hanamaki, Bokuto huffed and sent an apologetic glance to Akaashi. “Nevermind, he’s a douche.”</p><p> </p><p>Akaashi took that as he was getting whatever Hanamaki was going to make for him.</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t worry about it. I appreciate the sentiment,” Akaashi mused. “Now, can we go and find my friends?” Bokuto nodded, but he seemed almost hesitant, which Akaashi picked up on immediately and his expression hardened. “Why don’t you want me to go back to them?”</p><p> </p><p>“Huh?” Bokuto asked, blinking in surprise. “I…I wanted to spend time with you myself. Is that so bad? I know I work here and it’s unprofessional, but you just…I don’t know.” This was more the real Bokuto coming out. Not the calm and collected bouncer doing his job.</p><p> </p><p>“You want to spend time with me? Don’t you have a job to do? And do you ever have a night off?” Akaashi asked. “You sure seem loyal to an employer who doesn’t give you breaks. Not to mention you’ve never shown interest before.” That seemed to catch Bokuto’s attention and he frowned.</p><p> </p><p>“I stopped you falling over on the first day you came here! I warned you about that troublemaker! Not that the big guy seems to have taken my advice. And I promised your other friend I’d look out for you, so that’s what I’m doing,” Bokuto protested with a small pout. Akaashi just sighed. Maybe he was the one going insane. This club did weird things to him that he couldn’t put his finger on. It was just…not his element.</p><p> </p><p>“Alright, so say you did. You’ve never approached me before. What if I’m not interested? What then?” Akaashi asked. “Because you seem to be under the assumption that a suit and that mysterious look will make anyone do whatever you want.” Akaashi was particularly grumpy tonight. But that was possibly because everyone was split up. At least they were all with someone they vaguely knew.</p><p> </p><p>Except Nishinoya.</p><p> </p><p>Akaashi looked over to where Iwaizumi and Oikawa had been moments before, but couldn’t see them.</p><p> </p><p>“I…don’t know. I’m not good at this stuff-” Bokuto started, but he was already being ignored by Akaashi.</p><p> </p><p>“Do you see them?” Akaashi asked, looking around with a frown, his drink totally untouched. “Or Nishinoya?”</p><p> </p><p>If they couldn’t find them, then Akaashi would have to use his ability. And that wasn’t something he wanted to use around so many people. It was dangerous, and he’d been pretty much conditioned against it. There was a nagging feeling too, not like Suga’s intuition, but there was something not quite right about tonight. He didn’t like being alone at all.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><hr/><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>At first, Iwaizumi was hesitant, and he kept a close eye on Nishinoya, while also trying to act as normal as possible, but Oikawa was making that incredibly difficult for him. The brunette just seemed to demand about 90% of his attention all the time.</p><p> </p><p>“Why are you so worried about your friends? They can look after themselves, can’t they?” Oikawa asked, his lips curving into a smile as the next song came on and he started dancing even more. It appeared that this was one of his favourites.</p><p> </p><p>“Because we don’t do this often, and this is still new to us all. Not to mention the horror stories that people tell about being alone in a club,” Iwaizumi explained with a chuckle. He was unable to stop the small smile that crept onto his expression in response to Oikawa’s energy. Whatever was happening, it wasn’t something Iwaizumi disliked, but he had to stay focused. His friends were more important to him.</p><p> </p><p>“The bouncers are watching the doors, they’re going to catch anything suspicious that happens. Why do you think I feel so safe coming here alone?” Oikawa asked, before singing along to the chorus. He may have been altering the truth slightly, but he truly did believe that everyone was safe here. Nothing that Iwaizumi was thinking about would happen to any of his friends.</p><p> </p><p>“I suppose. Old habits die hard,” Iwaizumi shrugged, looking around and mentally checking off that he had seen Nishinoya before Oikawa drew his attention again. Was he closer this time? Did he mind? Since the first night Oikawa had joined them, Iwaizumi had been interested in the sort of person that would come to this club and just vibe, without much alcohol, just dancing and the drug of music racing through his veins.</p><p> </p><p>“Then just relax. You can meet up with them later. I’ll even keep an eye out for them. Stop worrying and dance with me Iwa-chan~” Oikawa almost whined. Though it wasn’t a childish whine. He just wanted to have fun with a friend he’d made.</p><p> </p><p>“Alright…I guess. Don’t make me regret trusting you on this one Oikawa,” Iwaizumi replied, “And stop calling me that. It’s childish and immature.” He didn’t get a verbal response, but Oikawa just stuck his tongue out and then they were practically against each other and Oikawa had his arms around Iwaizumi’s neck while they danced. This was something that the demigod had zero experience with. The room was crowded, but he’d never been this close to anyone physically in his life ever. Not unless he was training at the academy and fighting someone.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m not a dancer…” he mumbled, though Oikawa was close enough to hear and he just shook his head.</p><p> </p><p>“Everyone is a dancer at heart. Don’t hold back, just let the music take you over. That’s more of a drug than alcohol is. Though someone is a stubborn ass when it comes to alcohol. You just don’t seem affected by it at all…” Oikawa observed. “Maybe Hanamaki doesn’t give you as much alcohol?”</p><p> </p><p>“Who knows? It’s never really affected me. And I like keeping my wits about me. Just like you and your music drug,” Iwaizumi chuckled as they continued to move to the music. They were both sober, in the crowd that was intoxicated with some drug that made them slaves to the night. It was pretty impressive, and put a hell of a perspective on things.</p><p> </p><p>“Ooo, big strong Iwa-chan isn’t affected by alcohol. Are you on steroids?” Oikawa asked out of the blue, and Iwaizumi froze where he stood. What the fuck? Of course he wasn’t?</p><p> </p><p>“Do you wanna ask me that again but seriously this time?” Iwaizumi asked, frowning. “I’ve never used any sort of drugs ever…” It may seem like it with his tolerance to alcohol, but honestly, he hadn’t been drinking all that much. It was a waste of money.</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t be such a prude , Iwa-chan! I was having a joke!!” Oikawa replied with that smile that really got to Iwaizumi for some reason. </p><p> </p><p>“You really are trash,” Iwaizumi replied bluntly, but despite his harsh words, they were still as close as they had been before. The music echoed around them but almost didn’t seem to pierce their little bubble. </p><p> </p><p>“Well that’s just outright rude. I’m not trash, I’m perfect!” Oikawa rebuked.</p><p> </p><p>“Mhm, that’s what you want everyone to think, isn’t it?” Iwaizumi asked quietly, finding that his arm had made its way to wrap around Oikawa. This was most certainly not okay. Not with what he was. But that honestly wasn’t processing all too much right now. </p><p> </p><p>“It is what everyone thinks.”</p><p> </p><p>“Except me.”</p><p> </p><p>“Except you.”</p><p> </p><p>Iwaizumi was suddenly almost breathless, like he’d just got the wind knocked out of him. Except there was no reason for him to feel like that. He didn’t think people needed to be perfect for anything. Oikawa was trying way too hard, which was why Iwaizumi was initially reluctant to interact with him. But now that they’d spent a few nights out together, and exchanged several texts, he was more comfortable around him. Even if he was a dumbass.</p><p> </p><p>“You’re really interested, huh?” Iwaizumi asked, receiving a nod in return. Another breath left him slowly. He felt like his heartbeat matched the beat, and slowly but surely that was speeding up, and the beat turned into the blood rushing through his ears.</p><p> </p><p>“Really,” Oikawa responded quietly. Iwaizumi couldn’t hear him, but he still knew that’s what he said. It was ridiculous. He was being tempted with the one thing he couldn’t have. He and his friends had already told each other that any sort of relationship was off the table unless it was with another demi. But how did that come up in conversation? With anyone? They weren’t the only ones trying to keep themselves secret.</p><p> </p><p>“I can’t,” Iwaizumi finally said, frowning, and sighing deeply. “I…not yet. You should spend more time getting to know me and my friends before you say things like that.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. When the world falls down</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>“There are no beautiful surfaces without a terrible depth,”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>How had it come to this? Nishinoya asked in his head. He had only been out of sight from Iwaizumi for a few moments, and even then he still knew exactly where he and Oikawa were. Yet, here he was feeling like he was going to barf, but also like he was about to fall asleep at the same time. Everything from the moment he heard someone calling him ‘sunshine’ to now had been a blur. His senses felt like they were tingling, and his thoughts felt like static.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Nishinoya looked up from where he was sitting to see one familiar face, and one less familiar face. The world was a cool purple, and the world felt like it was vibrating from the music, but he couldn’t hear it. It felt like it was resonating with his heartbeat. Then he closed his eyes for a moment to clear his thoughts.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>When he opened them again, everything was much quieter. He was in a dark room, with a few lights, and shelves on the walls, but he couldn’t tell what was on them. He also noticed he was lying on a particularly comfortable couch. When had this happened? Was he in someone else’s home? No, he could still feel the bass from the music at the club. He was close by.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re awake. Perfect timing. Good job as always you two. Now get back to work before you arouse suspicion.” That was a voice Nishinoya felt like he should know, but he didn’t. He sat up slowly, feeling the buzz from the alcohol return. So he hadn’t been asleep for long.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s going on?” he asked simply, focusing on the room around him and noting the retreating figures that had brought him here before turning to the more authoritive voice.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You’ve been selected to go first,” the voice replied. When Nishinoya focused enough, he recognised the face. Kuroo Tetsurou. Wasn’t this the guy that Sugawara had been spending time with? Why was he here?</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“To go first for what?” Nishinoya asked. He was energetic, and sometimes he could be dumb, but this felt a lot more serious than all that.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh come on. Stop playing dumb now. You and your friends are demigods. Demigods make for the best souls,” Kuroo smiled. But it wasn’t a nice smile. It was twisted. Nishinoya could see it now. He could see what he hadn’t seen before. The twisted nature of the man before him.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Souls? They don’t exist. Not physically. They’re the essence of a being,” Nishinoya told him, trying to slowly back away so he could escape, or at least do something.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Look around you Apollo, everything in here is a soul. Every bottle contains the soul of someone who has come to this club. But my supply of demigod souls is dwindling. You and your friends came at a perfect time,” Kuroo told him. Nishinoya didn’t even know what to say to that. But he could feel the knot in his stomach tighten.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>In a spur of the moment, he pulled his energy into his hands, the familiar warmth erupting from them in a light that made him feel a lot more comfortable as he attempted to blind Kuroo so he could make a dash for it and find his friends. But as soon as the glow started, it was cut off, and Nishinoya felt like he’d been punched in the gut. He was breathless and his chest felt tight.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Everything was cold.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“What-”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“How do you think I know about demigods? How do you think I know about souls?” Kuroo asked, moving closer to Nishinoya, like a predator stalking his prey. “I am also a demigod. And I’m a lot older and a lot more powerful than you.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>With that, the room faded away and Nishinoya found himself somewhere entirely different. It was hot, almost scaldingly so. He realised a moment too late that this was his element. The sun. Except Kuroo was here, like oil in water, everything was pushing him out, but he was, as he said, a lot stronger than Nishinoya. Before he could think to do anything else, it was like Kuroo had reached inside his chest and yanked his heart out.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Except it wasn’t his soul, was it? It was something that looked like a golden orb. Was that a soul? Was that his soul? He went to protest, but a sudden wave of dizziness and nausea came over him and he stumbled backwards, losing his balance for a moment and feeling the onset of panic in his limbs.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Wh-” Nishinoya started, just as the bright place faded away. He felt like he had vertigo. Stumbling again, he found himself sitting back on the sofa, black spots swimming in his vision. They slowly cleared, and he focused again on Kuroo. He was still holding the orb. The one he had taken from Nishinoya. His soul.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you for being so cooperative Apollo,” Kuroo practically purred, as he put the orb into a nearby empty bottle. Nishinoya shivered. Had the room always been this cold? “Now, you may return to the floor, but you won’t be telling your friends about any of this, alright sunshine?” The smirk on Kuroo’s face told Nishinoya that something was up.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Screw that. I’m telling them to leave and never to come back,” he told Kuroo with spite. He only got a laugh in return, and when Kuroo gestured to the door, he was already leaving.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Something felt different. He was cold, there was no warmth around. Then again, being the demigod of the sun, he was always warmer than other people. What exactly had Kuroo taken? His soul? What did that mean exactly? It was ridiculous to think about, but there was a chill that sent a fear through Nishinoya like nothing he’d felt before.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It hurt.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He realised that there was something missing from inside him. He felt hollow, empty. Why had he left when Kuroo told him to? Why hadn’t he got more answers? Why was Kuroo so confident that he wouldn’t tell his friends everything that had happened? He also realised that he knew the way back to the main floor exactly, even though he had no idea where he was. His body was driving itself.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Then there was fear.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Was he not in control? He was still here, and he felt like himself, but it felt like he was taking a back seat in his own mind. How had this happened? That was a dumb question, but how had coming to a club resulted in this? He had no sun anymore. He had no brightness. He didn’t even feel the radiating positivity that he usually felt, and yet, there was still a goofy grin on his face. The one he always used when he was tipsy and around his friends. This was a prison.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>And finally there was resignation.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It was a prison that Nishinoya could see no way out of. If Kuroo had control over him, there was no way he was going to be able to tell the others what had happened, nor would he be able to get back whatever Kuroo had taken. It was a self fulfilling prophecy. He was trapped, with no way out. Everything had changed in a matter of seconds. He had no idea how, or why…but it had.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Kuroo had said he was the first. Did he now have to watch as his friends one by one turned into whatever he was? A shell? A shadow? A passenger in their own bodies?</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. The cold shadow's warmth</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>“In the midst of movement and chaos, keep stillness inside of you.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was a reason Akaashi had suggested they stay together. Together they were strong. They had each other’s backs. Apart they had a fatal flaw, and that was that they had no one else to reason with them. Even he, who was most grounded, was tempted. There was plenty of temptation around, but he narrowed his thoughts down to one - to find one of his friends.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Tell me if you see them,” he told Bokuto sharply, but before he’d even finished the sentence he had caught sight of a familiar face. Iwaizumi, dancing with Oikawa. Any other time, that would have been a sight to remember. The usual standoffish Iwaizumi opening up to someone and having fun, it was unprecedented. And that’s what worried Akaashi. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They had been split up.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Hajime,” he demanded the attention of the Ares demigod, and as though his voice was a knife cutting through the atmosphere, Iwaizumi snapped out of his trance-like state and turned to look at him. “Where is Nishinoya?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Akaashi noticed the wariness begin to seep back into Iwaizumi and he frowned, gaze darting around the crowd nearby.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“He was here not a moment ago, I swear on it,” Iwaizumi replied, a rare tenseness making its way into his tone. “What about Suga?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Upstairs with the owner guy last I knew. We should find Nishinoya and then look for him,” Akaashi decided, to which Iwaizumi agreed with immediately. They both knew that Sugawara was more attentive and less likely to do something stupid than Nishinoya.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Whatchu guys doing~?” a more relaxed voice pitched in. Oikawa leaned against Iwaizumi as he inserted himself into the conversation. “Having a private chat without me? How rude~” He was still moving to the music ever so slightly, like it was weaving its way through his body and always guiding his every movement.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“We need to find Nishinoya. The small bouncy guy we usually hang around with,” Iwaizumi informed. “It’s important.” He and Akaashi were already looking around for him, but of course Nishinoya had to be the smallest of them all and most difficult to find.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Ahhhh, you guys are such good friends! I saw him last over in that direction,” Oikawa pointed, and two pairs of eyes followed.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Akaashi, can’t you look for him?” Iwaizumi asked, giving his friend a pointed look, to which Akaashi frowned at. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Was Iwaizumi insinuating that he use his power to find Nishinoya? When they were in front of crowds of people?</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Here? Are you crazy?” But even as he asked, Akaashi knew it was their best chance of finding Nishinoya quickly. But there was no way of making it any less subtle. Thankfully, like Sugawara, Akaashi had been blessed with a power that was subtle. Just as he was about to take a breath and prepare himself, he felt a hand on his shoulder and almost jumped out of his skin.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Boku-Suga?” he quickly corrected himself as he turned around. Why on earth had his first assumption been the security guard?</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Akaashi, glad I could find you guys. Thought I was going to get lost in the sea of people,” he chuckled, before sobering at the expressions on his friends’ faces. “What’s going on?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Nishinoya,” Iwaizumi replied simply, and Sugawara blinked in surprise. How had he missed the fact the small bubble of energy was missing? Perhaps his conversation with Kuroo had set him off kilter.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh…”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I told them that I last saw him over there, then Iwa-chan told Akaashi to look for him,” Oikawa piped up, smiling and greeting Sugawara. That brought a reaction out of Suga, who spun to look at Akaashi.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Do it if you think we need to,” he agreed quietly. “Well me and Akaashi can look for Nishinoya over here, you two can check the bathrooms?” Sugawara suggested. They didn’t need Oikawa asking questions too. That would have just been the icing on the cake.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>As Iwaizumi and Oikawa disappeared in the crowd, Akaashi refreshed his mind, taking a deep breath. The same one he had taken when Suga had scared him last time.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay. Can you shield me more?” Akaashi asked, closing his eyes, and Sugawara moved to stand more in front of him to hide him. When he opened his eyes again, they had changed colour. Now they were silver and had a near glow to them, and it didn’t look like he was seeing what was in front of him.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you see where he is?” Sugawara asked. Akaashi’s power allowed him to track anything that he focused on, no matter how far away the object or person was. Useful in this situation. Or so they thought.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I-” Akaashi started, unsure as to what exactly he was seeing. He could see two paths to Nishinoya, which was something he had never seen before. How could someone be in two places at once? It was impossible. Was the alcohol affecting him? Or was he not focusing enough? He tried to block all other thoughts out to think exclusively about his god sibling, but all that happened was that both paths became sharper.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Keiji?” Sugawara asked, prompting him to continue.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t know. I can see two paths…” he trailed off as one of the paths started to disappear. “He’s here.” Blinking once and snapping out of his power-state, Akaashi glanced at Suga before brushing past him to see Nishinoya making his way towards them. Sugawara turned around before frowning deeply.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Where in the gods’ names have you been?” he asked Nishinoya, scolding him immediately, to which the Apollo demigod held his hands up.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, hey I’m sorry I needed to use the bathroom and then I couldn’t find Iwaizumi and the other guy…Oikawa!” he told them, apologising and bowing his head. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>There was something sobering and slightly off about Nishinoya of all people apologising to them. He always stood up for himself and only apologised if he knew he was very in the wrong, but then again, ditching them in a club was pretty damn wrong.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Well as long as you’re okay, I guess that’s all that matters. You are okay, right? Akaashi had to search for you because we were so concerned,” Sugawara told him.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah.” No. Nishinoya went to say no, but his own voice didn’t obey his command. He wanted to scream. “I’m alright, just a little disorientated. Think I had a few too many to drink. That bartender sure knows how to make them!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I think we should probably head home. Find Iwaizumi and Oikawa and head out,” Akaashi told them. He was a little shaky after using his power in such a public space and he was paranoid someone had seen him do it.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“That sounds like a good idea. We’ll head to the bathrooms then head out,” Suga agreed, sighing slightly. This whole experience had been a wild ride, and tonight was not what he had expected.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It hadn’t been how any of them expected really. Iwaizumi found out that he could actually have chemistry with someone that didn’t know about who or what he was, though at the expense of nearly losing one of his friends, Akaashi had been thrown entirely off balance by Bokuto. He still didn’t know how he could have thought about the security guard before Sugawara. And Sugawara had spoken to Kuroo, who spoke in nothing but riddles and confused him more than he had started with before disappearing with next to nothing to go off.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They all needed a break.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Finally though, they were reunited, and it was relieving to know that they were all okay. That nothing had happened.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Aww, are you guys going home already?” Oikawa asked when they were in the slightly quieter lobby area.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, I told you we’ve never been out clubbing much before. Tonight was disorientating for us all, being split up. I think an early night is warranted,” Iwaizumi replied, sighing, “Though I had a good time.” Oikawa smiled brightly at that.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You should text me more!” he told him. “I like you guys. I wanna hang out when we’re not drinking or deafened by music.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll try. I’m sure Suga will bug me to message you, right?” Iwaizumi asked.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, don’t worry! We’ll hang out again soon,” Sugawara agreed as he got his jacket back from the cloakroom.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Awesome! I’ll see you guys soon then!” Oikawa hummed, waving as he turned and disappeared back into the crowd.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Nishinoya was being weirdly quiet, but they all were. Conversation was sparse on their way back to the house as everyone thought about their own evening, and how it had affected them.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I think we should wait a bit before going back,” Sugawara piped up eventually as they turned off the main road onto their street.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I agree. Deadlines are coming up, and it adds more stress with the hangovers,” Akaashi nodded.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“How about having a beach day instead? Invite Oikawa and we can get some Vitamin D rather than poison ourselves with alcohol,” Iwaizumi suggested.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“We can think about this tomorrow? I’m gonna forget about all this tomorrow cause I’m super tired and kinda drunk,” Nishinoya nigh on giggled, bumping into Akaashi accidentally. He was the opposite of drunk. He felt like he’d just been submerged in ice cold water. He was wide awake and totally alert. Someone else was in control of his body.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Sure. But I think a beach day sounds like a pretty good idea,” Sugawara chuckled at his friends. “Tonight was wild. Definitely don’t wanna have to deal with that stress again for a while!” He sighed and took a deep breath of the night air, refreshing himself. He needed some time to consider whether Kuroo was actually interested in him or not. Whether this was just some sketchy customer ploy, or whether he intended on pursuing this further…</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The moment the four of them got home, they went their separate ways, into each of their rooms. Unusually, Nishinoya was the last to enter his room, hesitating like he wanted to say something. But if the other three noticed, they didn’t say anything. Their doors closed one by one, and Nishinoya found himself alone with his thoughts again. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>A cold sense of dread fell over him as he slipped into an uneasy sleep. He couldn’t help but wonder if they were all walking straight into a trap, whether there was anything they could have done about any of this.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. K̷̢̠̬̻̻̋u̶̫̤̱̳̩͊͜r̶̛̭͓̐͂͒͋ő̶̙͔̟̅̕ö̷̡̱͍̲͈̪́̿͐͑</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>“No man chooses evil because it is evil; he only mistakes it for happiness, the good he seeks,”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It took a few days for Kuroo to figure out what he wanted to do with the rest of his life. He knew it would take a while for everyone to work out it had been him who killed his brother. Even just thinking the phrase sent a shudder through him. A combination of horror at himself and elation that he finally had a way to protect himself.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He felt sure enough in himself, and in his current relationship to tell Kenma, a demigod of Athena, what had happened. He felt sure enough that Kenma would come with him when he told him he wanted to leave.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I won’t, Kuro,” was the first stab to his heart. The first of many to come.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Why? It was you who said you wanted us to be together forever,” Kuroo returned, brows furrowing in confusion as he took a step backwards. “I’m just trying to make that a reality.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Because this isn’t you. This is Hades,” was the response that came his way, and he recoiled.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You think this isn’t me? I did this for us. Why would I kill someone if not for you Kenma?” Kuroo almost pleaded with him. “Why would Hades do something like that? Come with me. We can live a long life, explore the world, see the different stars, meet new people, live different lives…”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I won’t. I want to live this life,” Kenma said simply, “With you.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re not hearing me! It’s me, or this sad life here,” Kuroo argued, feeling a certain level of anger building up in him. “Didn’t you promise to stand by me to the ends of this world?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I did. But you’re meddling in something that’s beyond this world,” Kenma replied softly, watching Kuroo carefully, almost like he was scared of him.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Hardly. The gods are our world. This is just another power of mine,” Kuroo explained. “I need you Kenma…I need you to come with me.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>His chest hurt.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>For someone who took someone else’s soul, why was it his own that felt like it was being ripped from him now?</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I want to stand with you Kuro. But on this, I cannot. You are on your own,” Kenma told him quietly. Kuroo felt like his world was shattering, not just his heart. Just as he got everything he could ever want, he lost something he needed. Someone he needed.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“So…” his voice broke slightly, “You’re choosing this sad little life over me?” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He took another step backwards.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You could have the world, and you’re choosing this?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, Kuro.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>With the confirmation that he was no longer wanted, Kuroo hardened his heart and took a breath.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“So be it,” he answered. His voice was a little slow on agreeing with him, and it cracked slightly. Kenma almost flinched at the pain in his voice, but didn’t say anything.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Goodbye, Kenma.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Song of the Sea</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>
  <em>"Follow your soul. It knows the way."</em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Of course it starts to rain as soon as we leave the city,” Suga sighed as he, Iwaizumi, Oikawa and Akaashi sat in the car. It was sort of depressing. The day they decided to spend the night at the beach house to get away from everything and everyone, was the day that the gods decided it should rain. It wasn’t even the light rain that can be passed off as a little mist. It was full blown, heavy rain.</p><p> </p><p>“Well we can’t turn around now,” Oikawa piped up, seeming far too chipper for someone who was stuck in the car with them. He received three identical looks that he laughed at. “What? Have you never been on a rainy beach day? We just spend the day indoors playing games and talking. And if there aren’t board games or card games in the beach house, we can make our own games. Or even better, make our own drinking games.”</p><p> </p><p>As if the ideas couldn’t get any more chaotic, of course Oikawa had to add alcohol to the mix.</p><p> </p><p>“No alcohol. We decided to come to the beach to get away from the drinking and clubbing,” Iwaizumi said. “I wouldn’t want to turn into some weird club junkie like Trashykawa here-”</p><p> </p><p>“Hey!”</p><p> </p><p>“-so I think the rainy day in the beach house watching movies or playing games sounds good. There should be some video games in there. Mario Kart, or something of the sorts.” Iwaizumi didn’t even blink at Oikawa’s protest at the name. He wasn’t quite sure where it came from, but while it was an insult, it was rare for Iwaizumi to give anyone a nickname. Even Sugawara, his oldest friend, didn’t have a nickname.</p><p> </p><p>“Agreed. It’ll be nice to have some peaceful time,” Akaashi nodded. The car fell silent. Or as silent as it could be in the rain that hammered against the windshield and roof of the car. None of them wanted to brave the weather, and it didn’t seem like it was getting any less intense.</p><p> </p><p>“Fuck it! There will be a warm shower when we get inside. Until then, we should get everything in as fast as possible,” Sugawara spoke, mainly to himself as he opened the door and all four of them immediately got sprayed by some form of rain. “Come on!” he laughed, getting out and rushing to the back of the car.</p><p> </p><p>Once the silence had been broken, the other three followed quickly after, all of them internally complaining about different things, but weirdly they all had smiles on their faces. Or their versions of. Oikawa was laughing at the fact their clothes had immediately been soaked through even though they were rushing, while Suga was enjoying the break and the absolute chaos that they’d gotten themselves into. Iwaizumi couldn’t help but chuckle at the other two and their ridiculous outlook on the rain. How could anyone laugh in this. And Akaashi was hunched over with his phone out, smiling at the screen.</p><p> </p><p>“Oho? Someone’s gotten a message off someone they like,” Oikawa pointed out, attempting to peer over Akaashi’s shoulder only to be greeted with a black screen and Akaashi shoving it back in his pocket.</p><p> </p><p>“You’re imagining things. The rain is getting to you,” he told Oikawa in rebuttal before he grabbed a couple of bags and carried them into the hall. Once everything was at least inside, they could get their own and sort everything out.</p><p> </p><p>“Keiji has a crush~” Oikawa sang as he followed him happily. None of the others knew when Oikawa had started calling them all by their first names or whether they’d even said he could, but it didn’t exactly feel wrong. He fit in with them.</p><p> </p><p>“He does? Who is it?” Iwaizumi asked, looking between them locking the car and shutting the door behind them all.</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t pressure him. I’m sure he’ll tell us when he’s ready. Just like you two will tell us when you stop pining and start kissing,” Suga told Iwaizumi and Oikawa, teasing them in return to take the edge off Akaashi.</p><p> </p><p>Oikawa broke out into a bright blush but still laughed. </p><p> </p><p>“Oh don’t worry, we will!” he told Suga, sticking his tongue out at him and subsequently sinking at Iwaizumi.</p><p> </p><p>Today had not gone as they planned it, but none of them wanted to let it get to the mood. Rain storms could be just as fun as sunny beach days, they just needed the right attitude and the right motivation.</p><p> </p><p>“Dibs on first shower,” Akaashi said suddenly, already heading to the bathroom, a small smile on his face, which for Akaashi was the equivalent of a shit eating grin.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey! I drove us here, I should go first,” Iwaizumi protested. Sugawara and Oikawa just shook their heads. They’d all get a shower, it didn’t really matter in what order they went, apart from being soaked to the bone. But that was all part of the fun.</p><p> </p><p>“If we’re going by that logic, I should go first, because my hair needs the most time to dry and look good,” Oikawa told Iwaizumi. “So don’t hog all the grumpiness, Iwa-chan~”</p><p> </p><p>——————</p><p> </p><p>About an hour later, the four of them had showered and were sitting in front of a roaring fire in the living area playing Mario Kart and all the competitive pettiness came out. It turned out, unsurprisingly, that Oikawa would practically have a silent rage whenever he wasn’t in first, but they were all good sports about the entire thing.</p><p> </p><p>Akaashi had curled up under a blanket on the sofa as he played, and Suga sat next to him, while Iwaizumi and Oikawa were sitting on the floor on a pile of pillows, sitting far too close to each other to be classed as ‘just friends’, though there was nothing to really call them out on.</p><p> </p><p>After playing through a fair few races - it was now past lunchtime - they decided to call a break and a ceasefire. Otherwise they would have gone all day, with no qualms about time, food or tiredness.</p><p> </p><p>“Do we want to cook or are we being lazy and ordering some takeout?” Iwaizumi asked, already pulling out his phone when he saw the look both Oikawa and Sugawara gave him. “Nevermind, what are we ordering then?”</p><p> </p><p> For only four people, they ordered a lot of food. A sushi selection box, tempura, each of them ordering a different main dish with noodles, tamagoyaki to share and a yagashi to wash everything down afterwards.</p><p> </p><p>“I feel kind of sorry for the delivery person. They’ll have to drive in this weather and then give us our food. I certainly couldn’t imagine working in this weather,” Akaashi sighed absentmindedly from his spot curled up on the sofa. He was staring at his phone again, and typing rapidly.</p><p> </p><p>Sugawara, seeing this, also pulled his phone out and chuckled.</p><p> </p><p>“Alright, spill, the both of you,” Iwaizumi told them, and Oikawa perked up in interest, turning to watch what was about to go down.</p><p> </p><p>“Spill what?” Akaashi asked, raising an eyebrow.</p><p> </p><p>“You’re both on your phones constantly today. On a good day you check them maybe once an hour. It’s been practically between every race,” Iwaizumi told them, and they both seemed a little bashful.</p><p> </p><p>“You first Akaashi,” Sugawara gestured, smiling widely. No way was he going to go first.</p><p> </p><p>“Fine, you know the bouncer at Hellstruck? We’ve been messaging. Or well, he’s been messaging me. A lot,” Akaashi told them. “And he’s a total idiot.” He said that, but the almost fond expression on his face gave away everything that he thought.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh! Bokuto. He’s not usually interested in getting people’s numbers. I didn’t even realise he swung that way honestly. If I had I might have tried to charm him into letting me upstairs,” Oikawa hummed. “You’re lucky. He’s got almost as much muscle as Iwa-chan here~”</p><p> </p><p>“I could beat him at an arm wrestling competition,” Iwaizumi replied easily. But then again, he was also thinking about his Ares strength. There were very few people who could challenge him in a contest of strength, and they were all also Ares demigods.</p><p> </p><p>“We know, no need to brag about it,” Sugawara laughed lightly. “I think it’s cute. You’re usually not interested in anyone.” It was then that it hit Sugawara. Artemis demigods had to follow her oath of celibacy. Relationships were off the table for Akaashi. He bit his tongue before he said anything, but there was no way he was letting Akaashi off that easily. They were definitely going to talk about this later.</p><p> </p><p>“Your turn Suga,” Oikawa pointed out, turning his head and resting his chin on Iwaizumi’s shoulder as he watched the Athena demigod.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh- um. Actually, Kuroo gave me his business card when I spoke to him the other night. Told me to message him if I was… well interested. I figured that it couldn’t hurt to test the waters, right? Well, he’s been pretty much messaging me non-stop since I text him first,” Sugawara admitted, sighing softly.</p><p> </p><p>“Damn, all of you are scoring big,” Oikawa told them, nudging Iwaizumi and smirking slightly. That was definitely not a nod in his direction. He wasn’t bragging or putting himself on a pedestal. Or at least, he’d never really admit that. If anything, he was just enjoying the attention and ease of the group.</p><p> </p><p>“Are you sure you want to get involved with him, Koushi?” Iwaizumi asked seriously. “I’m pretty sure it was you who said that club owners were sketchy and shady.” </p><p> </p><p>“Like I said, testing the waters. I can always cut ties and just not go to Hellstruck anymore. It’s not the end of the world. We survived before didn’t we? It would just be like going back to that.” Though, Sugawara wasn’t sure he could do that. He wasn’t sure any of them could. It was totally freeing to be able to go out with friends and just let loose, relax and forget about their day to day stresses.</p><p> </p><p>“And you’ve all got balls of steel,” Oikawa added on with a laugh.</p><p> </p><p>When the food arrived, they answered the door and almost felt sorry for the poor delivery guy. They had ordered far too much, but as Suga pointed out,</p><p> </p><p>“We can always reheat the leftovers for dinner or tomorrow.”</p><p> </p><p>Once they settled back down to eat, having pushed the sofa’s out of the way so they could all sit on the floor, it was relatively quiet, apart from the TV and the pounding rain outside. When food was around, of course no one was going to talk.</p><p> </p><p>“I wonder when this rain is going to stop. It’s almost like the gods are crying,” Suga sighed. Apollo was weeping, hiding from the world on this day… It was a brief lapse in judgement from him, not thinking about Oikawa being with them, but it wasn’t enough to give anything away.</p><p> </p><p>“Or pissing,” Oikawa added on with a small laugh.</p><p> </p><p>“That’s disgusting, please not while we’re eating,” Akaashi pulled a slight face.</p><p> </p><p>“Okay, Mr Delicate Constitution,” Oikawa teased, but he laid off on the pissing analogy.</p><p>
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</p><p>The day had been nothing like they’d expected, nor nothing like they’d wanted, but it was something they needed, regardless of rain or shine. They decided upon watching movies for the rest of the evening while they grazed lazily on the leftovers they had in front of them. Everyone needed a cheat day every now and then.</p><p> </p><p>As the evening flew by and the sky darkened even more, Sugawara and Akaashi both excused themselves, since they were sleeping in the same room, leaving the double bed for the ‘lovebirds’ as they had called it. </p><p> </p><p>The rain started to die down once the sun disappeared and the sky cleared, making way for a full bright moon that reflected over the ocean in shimmers, like a molten silver road leading straight to the mood.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s pretty, isn’t it,” Iwaizumi spoke quietly, snapping Oikawa out of his trance. He’d been briefly taken off guard by the sudden serenity of the world. It was like nature was breathing a sigh of relief, or it was empty of tears to weep, numb from whatever pain it had gone through, leaving the raw emotion behind.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s sad,” Oikawa corrected. “How the sky can weep but still everything carries on as normal.” It was weirdly poetic coming from him, and Iwaizumi was surprised.</p><p> </p><p>“Things don’t carry on as normal. People stop, spend time inside and pay attention. And everything is part of a cycle,” he nudged Oikawa as he sat next to him. “What’s got you all sentimental?”</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t know. I was thinking about what Suga said before. How the gods were crying. Did he mean the ancient greek gods?” Oikawa asked. “I know he studies literature. I figured they were the most common.”</p><p> </p><p>“We all sort of have a fascination with the greek gods,” Iwaizumi admitted, chuckling a little. “Do you want to sit outside and get some fresh air while we won’t get drenched?”</p><p> </p><p>When Oikawa nodded, Iwaizumi grabbed a couple of blankets for them, wrapping one around his shoulders and the other around Oikawa’s before they headed outside, opening the sliding doors that led onto a porch area.</p><p> </p><p>“Me too. I was kind of obsessed when I was younger,” Oikawa laughed wryly before pausing and letting them fall into silence again.</p><p> </p><p>They sat and watched the waves wash on the shore, how the stars danced in the sky and the moon outshone them all, like it was some weird hole in the sky leading to heaven, or some utopia that no one knew about. There were so many unspoken words between the two of them, but none of them needed saying as they watched out towards the horizon. It was possibly an hour of peaceful silence, sitting shoulder to shoulder under the moonlight, before Oikawa spoke again.</p><p> </p><p>“What if I told you that the gods were real?” he asked softly. It was the gentlest tone Iwaizumi had ever heard him use, and he would have mistaken it for someone else if he hadn’t seen Oikawa’s lips move.</p><p> </p><p>“I’d ask for proof,” Iwaizumi replied simply, eyeing Oikawa cautiously. He liked the brunet. A lot. But he was worried that he couldn’t be with him because of the differences between them.</p><p> </p><p>“And what if I could give you that proof?” Oikawa responded almost immediately, turning to look at Iwaizumi. There was something in his gaze that Iwaizumi couldn’t place. A sort of intense fire that someone only had if they had a purpose in what they were saying.</p><p> </p><p>“Then I’d believe you.”</p><p> </p><p>Another silence.</p><p> </p><p>“They’re real,” Oikawa then said, “And so are their offspring. Or well, demigods.” Iwaizumi could tell that the brunet was tense. He was practically staring at him, trying to gauge his response, but Iwaizumi gave him nothing. How could he? Sure, he could have taken him at his word and said he knew, and that he was a son of Ares, but if Oikawa was bluffing- let’s just say paranoia had been imprinted into Iwaizumi about this.</p><p> </p><p>“Where’s your proof?” Iwaizumi asked, basically repeating the theoretical conversation they had just had.</p><p> </p><p>“Right here,” Oikawa replied, moving closer to Iwaizumi slowly. If Iwaizumi had been unable to look away before, he certainly couldn’t now. Just as he could feel Oikawa’s breath against his own lips, his eyes changed colour, from the usual warm brown to a bright golden that drew Iwaizumi in even deeper. That was certainly a surprise.</p><p> </p><p>Iwaizumi had expected a friend of Oikawa’s to know someone who’s uncle’s cousin’s friend was a demigod. But this was a lot closer to home, and Iwaizumi had no idea how to react. He could tell Oikawa about him, but that would give away his friends. But he wanted to be with him. And Oikawa had shown him first, so in reality Iwaizumi could have just gone and grassed him up. That trust was something that stuck in Iwaizumi’s mind as Oikawa retreated again.</p><p> </p><p>“You’re a demigod,” Iwaizumi stated. It wasn’t a question. There was no other explanation, even if he was a mundane. He wasn’t stupid.</p><p> </p><p>“Aphrodite,” Oikawa admitted, blinking. His eyes returned to their normal hue and he sat back where he was before. He was expecting some outrage at how he could lead Iwaizumi on and use his ability to woo him and flirt with him, but it never came.</p><p> </p><p>“Ares,” was all Iwaizumi said in response, just as anxious to see what Oikawa responded with.</p><p> </p><p>“You don’t hate me?” Oikawa asked, genuinely taken by surprise as he watched Iwaizumi.</p><p> </p><p>“Why would I hate you? You were honest with me. I don’t think you’d do that if you were using your…whatever your ability is to draw me in, right? That sort of charm’s weakness is a weak mind and awareness to its use,” Iwaizumi replied. “It doesn’t change what I think of you, Crappykawa.” He smiled ever so slightly at the nickname.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey! I thought we were having a moment!” Oikawa huffed slightly, and lightly shoved Iwaizumi.</p><p> </p><p>“Of course you did,” Iwaizumi teased, “Sappy romantic.” When Oikawa’s eyes widened in surprise, Iwaizumi couldn’t help himself. He shrugged the blanket off his shoulders and ran straight towards the ocean, getting about waist deep before looking back, glad to see that Oikawa was only a few steps behind him.</p><p> </p><p>“Rude Iwa-chan! We were having a moment, and you ruined it!” It took another moment to process what Iwaizumi had said before. “Wait! You knew the gods and demi’s existed and you let me go through all that. I was so conflicted.”</p><p> </p><p>“Well I wasn’t sure whether you were bluffing or not,” Iwaizumi admitted, shrugging a little, not entirely expecting Oikawa to throw himself at him and send them both toppling into the water. Iwaizumi got dunked and Oikawa got a face full of salt water before they both surfaced, laughing.</p><p> </p><p>“Poor excuse for an Ares if you can’t catch me.”</p><p> </p><p>“You’re just too heavy.”</p><p> </p><p>“Hey!”</p><p> </p><p>“Hi-” Iwaizumi had moved closer to Oikawa throughout the brief exchange, and immediately after saying ‘hi’, he closed the final distance and firmly kissed Oikawa He wanted to prove to Oikawa that even if he was a son of Aphrodite, he liked him for who he was, nothing to do with his relation, or his looks. Though the looks didn’t do any harm. </p><p> </p><p>“…hi…” Oikawa mumbled, a tint of red on his cheeks at the sudden attack, but he wasn’t complaining. It was cute. And not to mention, he’d been meaning to the same thing before, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it without Iwaizumi knowing who and what he was.</p><p> </p><p>“Are you happy with me saying we’re officially dating now?” Iwaizumi asked.</p><p> </p><p>“But Iwa-chan, you haven’t taken me on any dates,” Oikawa pointed out innocently, though the glint in his eyes said otherwise.</p><p> </p><p>“Then I guess I’ll take you on a date when we get back to the city tomorrow,” Iwaizumi told him with a slight roll of his eyes.</p><p> </p><p>“You’re not supposed to roll your eyes at the mention of a date! You’re supposed to enjoy it, jeez, don’t you know anything?”</p><p> </p><p>“I know that you’re extremely loud right now.”</p><p> </p><p>“And?”</p><p> </p><p>“And it’s the middle of the night.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh…”</p>
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<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Restbite</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>"Music has infinite power to reach the gap between the heart and soul to create infinite and ineffable joy."</em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>When Akaashi and Sugawara turned in for the night, they both headed silently to the room they were staying in, until the door was locked behind them and there was no chance of being overheard.</p><p> </p><p>“Are you seriously considering flirting with him?” Sugawara asked quietly.</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t know…” Akaashi sighed. “He’s so earnest, it's refreshing, but you know why I can’t.”</p><p> </p><p>Because of Akaashi’s link to Artemis, he was unable to be in any sort of romantic or sexual relationship with anyone. It hadn’t really seemed like a big deal before, because of the way Akaashi carried out his day to day activities. He was completely independant and liked his space. At least, that’s what it seemed like to Sugawara. But now that Bokuto had appeared out of the blue and showed interest in Akaashi, it seemed like things had changed.</p><p> </p><p>“I know. And I don’t know of any way around it,” Sugawara admitted. He hadn’t really researched much into it, but he hadn’t even heard of anything even remotely.</p><p> </p><p>“He’s … I don’t know. I would have never expected someone like him to catch my attention. Honestly I never really expected anyone to catch my attention at all. I didn’t think that much was possible with-” Akaashi gestured vaguely.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, I know.” Sugawara really didn’t know what to do to help. Usually he’d search for some kind of solution, or find a way around the issue. But this was so directly against Akaashi that it seemed like an impenetrable wall with no way round.</p><p> </p><p>As an uneasy silence fell around them, Sugawara looked down at his own phone, to find a message from Kuroo waiting for him.</p><p> </p><p>“What about you? Are you sure you want to do that?” Akaashi asked, repeating Iwaizumi’s question from before as he noticed the small smile on Suga’s face from the message.</p><p> </p><p>“I have no idea, but he left so many questions left unanswered last time we spoke that I’d just like to talk to him again and get a straight answer, though I’m not sure I will. That might just be part of the appeal though,” Suga sighed.</p><p> </p><p>“You know that’s kinda a red flag, right?” Akaashi pointed out, and Sugawara nodded.</p><p> </p><p>“That’s why I’m just going to try this time and if I manage to get an answer out of him next time we talk in person, I’ll stick with it. If not then I’ll back out there and then before I’m in too deep,” Sugawara explained. He couldn’t just turn away from this one. He was too curious, and he knew that was probably a bad thing, but when something captures anyone’s interest this far it’s almost impossible not to think about it.</p><p> </p><p>Akaashi wasn’t sure he liked that idea. Kuroo watched people flirt on a dance floor everyday. If there was one thing he knew about, it was people. He would have been very surprised if Kuroo didn’t know how to play the game of hearts.</p><p> </p><p>“If you’re sure. Just keep me up to date. I’m less likely to break necks than Iwaizumi,” Akaashi chuckled. </p><p> </p><p>All of them were messes. They had wanted to try something new and now they were pretty much on the verge of breaking rule 3 of being a demigod. Dating or forming any close, meaningful relationships with humans.</p><p> </p><p>“I will, thanks. I just wish I could pick his mind and not get such cryptic answers,” Suga sighed. He didn’t know what sort of questions triggered Kuroo’s riddling responses, but he was trying to figure it out to get a gauge on what the other was trying to keep from him for now. Sugawara didn’t think Kuroo had lied to him so far either. Liars stuck with their story and they had a solid idea, whereas in this case, he was getting answers, they were just extremely brief and led onto a different topic.</p><p> </p><p>“Mindreading. Yeah we all wish we could do that,” Akaashi rolled his eyes as he laid back on his bed. “I’m going to talk a little to Bokuto before going to sleep. Try not to stay up too late.”</p><p> </p><p>“I won’t, don’t worry,” Sugawara nodded, watching Akaashi for a moment before settling on his side himself and turning his full attention to his phone to say goodnight to the evasive feline.</p><p> </p><p>They laid in silence for a while, and Sugawara was about to nod off when there was a splashing from outside and he shot up to look out of the window, Akaashi right next to him a moment later. He just sighed and rolled his eyes when he saw Iwaizumi and Oikawa in the ocean, laughing, before-</p><p> </p><p>“Oh well, we knew that was going to happen sooner or later. I just didn’t necessarily want to see it,” Akaashi sighed, almost scornful of them. He was jealous, Sugawara realised. He was learning more and more about Akaashi over today than he’d learnt in a long time, since they’d become such close friends.</p><p> </p><p>“No, I agree. It’s disgusting. They should take it somewhere private, but not next door-” Sugawara groaned slightly. “If they fuck next door I’m not cooking them breakfast.”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s understandable, I’d do exactly the same thing,” Akaashi agreed, pulling a face at the idea. When Akaashi laid down, his phone buzzed and he sighed, picking it up and squinted at the bright screen to check the notification.</p><p> </p><p>[Bokuto]: Do you want to meet up when you get back from your rainy beach trip?</p><p> </p><p>How was he supposed to answer that? He wanted to, that much he knew. But how could he keep leading Bokuto on, knowing full well that he could never be with him in any sense of the term. Unless he was reading too much into this and Bokuto wanted to meet up as friends? Akaashi never over-thought any of these things, so why was he now? </p><p> </p><p>Thankfully he hadn’t actually opened the message, and it wouldn’t mark it as read. So instead, he put his phone on silent and rolled back over, closing his eyes and attempting to relax as hard as it was with the question repeating itself over in his head. Meeting up with Bokuto wouldn’t do any harm, would it? Little did he know, Suga was thinking exactly the same thing…</p><p> </p><p>Meeting up with Kuroo wouldn’t be such a bad thing…right?</p><p> </p><p>He wanted to, and not to mention, it would be better to meet him outside of being in the club where even the music and the atmosphere was intoxicating. The only time he had met up with Kuroo previously, he’d appreciated his help in the shop, before he got a little creeped out by him when he came back to invite him to meet him in the club. </p><p> </p><p>———————</p><p> </p><p>The next morning was interesting to say the least.</p><p> </p><p>Iwaizumi came into Akaashi’s and Sugawara’s room and sat down in the chair by the window. They both noticed that he was weirdly smiley, even if it wasn’t immediately apparent.</p><p> </p><p>“What’s got you in such a good mood?” Sugawara asked, yawning slightly as he woke up more. Of course, he knew exactly what was up, but he wanted to hear it from Iwaizumi before he made comments and gave his opinions.</p><p> </p><p>“Oikawa. He’s one of us,” Iwaizumi said simply. “And that means I have absolutely no qualms or reservations in being with him, even if he is an idiot.”</p><p> </p><p>“Hey-!” Oikawa protested from the door, a hand on his hip as he frowned slightly at Iwaizumi, even if there was still a sparkle in his eyes.</p><p> </p><p>And again, both Sugawara and Akaashi had been thrown for a loop. Their thought processes were eerily similar. What were the chances of running into another demigod? And a demigod that looked a similar age to them and they didn’t recognise from school.</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t fret over it Oikawa, he’s a grumpybutt, I don’t know what you see in him,” Sugawara spoke up first, snapping out of his trace and teasing his friend. He could worry about this later when Oikawa wasn’t around and he could talk to Iwaizumi.</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t go spilling all my secrets now Suga.” Iwaizumi chuckled. </p><p> </p><p>Akaashi bounced back from his own thoughts a moment later.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh? Why not? Embarrassed?” Akaashi asked.</p><p> </p><p>Oikawa, who had seemed a little tense at first, relaxed as both Sugawara and Akaashi accepted the fact he and Iwaizumi were together.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s time for breakfast, don’t you think? Then we should start heading back, even if we didn’t get any time on the beach. Or at least, you two didn’t~” Oikawa winked at Iwaizumi, grinning ever so slightly as he continued down the hall to the kitchen.</p>
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<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Weaving silk</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>
  <em>"You are a beautiful soul hidden by the trenchcoat of the ego."</em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Akaashi!!!” a loud voice suddenly appeared next to the five of them, and Akaashi winced slightly. Bokuto was being way too loud already, but he understood that the club was loud and it was easy to be loud with the loud music.</p><p> </p><p>“Bokuto,” Akaashi greeted simply. It might not have been obvious to other people, but this was a pretty warm welcome from someone like Akaashi, especially considering he usually just ignored people he didn’t know or like.</p><p> </p><p>“Are you getting a drink?” Bokuto asked, and Sugawara just laughed a little behind Akaashi.</p><p> </p><p>“We’re at a club, Bokuto. What do you think? We don’t work here like you,” Sugawara commented, walking past them and to the bar. Nishinoya followed him, grinning at them as he passed the not-so-couple.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, we’re getting a drink,” he answered Bokuto’s question, noting the small pout that could have easily been missed by a passerby. “Aren’t you supposed to be on duty?”</p><p> </p><p>“Well yeah, but I can still be on duty and talk to you,” the bouncer replied with a proud grin. In reality he just made sure no one went upstairs or somewhere they weren’t supposed to, and there were other people doing that job too, so he didn’t need to focus on it too hard. He and Akaashi made their way to the bar following Sugawara and Nishinoya.</p><p> </p><p>Akaashi noticed that Nishinoya wasn’t bouncing so much as usual, but then again, he wouldn’t be so happy if he’d been left behind on a beach trip. There had been a hell of a conversation when they got back to the house with Oikawa. Akaashi had thought Sugawara had told him they were leaving, while Sugawara thought Iwaizumi had done it. And Iwaizumi just straight up didn’t think about it. But it blew over pretty quickly with some take out to make it up to him.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey Makki, this one on the house?” he asked him, humming slightly as the bartender just rolled his eyes at him. But he made the drink for free, commenting on the ‘lovesick idiot’ that he was, before moving quickly onto the next customer. </p><p> </p><p>“So how was the beach trip? Why didn’t you reply to my message?” Bokuto asked Akaashi once they were standing to one side, where Bokuto usually spent his time watching people and keeping an eye on the stairs that Sugawara had disappeared up a few moments ago.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, I fell asleep. Trying to compete with Iwaizumi and Oikawa on MarioKart is exhausting, especially when they’re practically in each other’s laps,” Akaashi explained, not meeting Bokuto’s gaze.</p><p> </p><p>“I could have done it,” Bokuto mumbled to himself proudly, even though there was no way of telling that. “They look like they’re in each other’s lap right now too-” Across the dancefloor, Iwaizumi was dancing with Oikawa, except it looked more like they were preparing for some time in the bedroom later. “Are you sure they haven’t had anything to drink?”</p><p> </p><p>“Very sure. Well, I can’t speak for Oikawa but Iwaizumi definitely hasn’t,” Akaashi mused, watching them and pulling a face. “They need a private room or something.” </p><p> </p><p>“You still didn’t answer my question. Do you wanna meet up sometime outside the club?” Bokuto asked, looking hopeful and watching for Akaashi’s reaction. </p><p> </p><p>“Oh, well I have work a lot this week, so I’m not sure I’ll be free much,” Akaashi admitted, apologising slightly.</p><p> </p><p>“I could always come see you on a break or something?” Bokuto asked. </p><p> </p><p>He wasn’t being that subtle that he wanted to talk to Akaashi, and that’s what was worrying Akaashi. What did Bokuto want to talk to him about? He didn’t want to lead him on, but there was something telling him not to just straight up push him away. Not that it would be easy to push him away.</p><p> </p><p>“Maybe,” Akaashi sighed, effectively ending the conversation, “I’ll text you my hours…” he finally added, feeling something tug in his chest at the sad sort of expression on Bokuto’s face.</p><p> </p><p>“Okay!” Bokuto chimed, excitedly, any signs of sadness disappearing.</p><p>
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</p><p>Meanwhile, upstairs in the balcony area above the dance floor, Kuroo and Sugawara were sitting in silence, sipping at their drinks. Though it didn’t last long since silence eventually had to be broken by one of them.</p><p> </p><p>“So, I noticed that your friends got together,” Kuroo mused, watching everyone below them dancing.</p><p> </p><p>“Just a bit,” Suga replied. “They decided it would be a smart idea to go in the sea at night and then kiss. Or well, one of them did.” Kuroo snorted slightly at that, shaking his head.</p><p> </p><p>“Did either of them get ill yet?”</p><p> </p><p>“No, annoyingly. It would have served them right for being dumb, but hey, I suppose whatever god of romance that is out there gave them mercy,” Suga mused, trying not to laugh at his own joke. Oikawa was effectively a god of romance. Or a demigod of romance anyway.</p><p> </p><p>“Shame,” Kuroo chuckled, and the two of them fell into silence again. </p><p> </p><p>Sugawara had so many questions to ask Kuroo, but none of them were coming to mind now that he was actually in his presence. It was slightly annoying and it felt like there was an itch in his mind that he needed to scratch, but he couldn’t reach it no matter how hard he tried. Eventually he just sighed and sat back in his seat, taking an especially large sip out of his drink.</p><p> </p><p>“That was a heavy sigh,” Kuroo observed, watching Suga out the corner of his eye. “Everything okay?”</p><p> </p><p>“You know when you have so many thoughts, and then when you need them they just vanish into mid air?” Sugawara asked. “Cause I feel like my brain stood me up tonight.” Sugawara was surprised when that pulled a laugh out of Kuroo.</p><p> </p><p>“Too many thoughts, no need to brag about being smart,” Kuroo teased. “But I’ll let you in on a secret, I get the same thing.” </p><p> </p><p>This time it was Suga’s turn to deadpan Kuroo.</p><p> </p><p>“You tell me not to brag before saying you have exactly the same problem, I think that’s you bragging Tetsurou.” It was the first time he’d used Kuroo’s first name and it just sort of slipped out randomly.</p><p> </p><p>“Well, someone came out of their shell quickly. That was forward of you, Koushi,” Kuroo returned the favour, a smirk spreading across his face when Sugawara almost hid out of embarrassment.</p><p> </p><p>“Sorry I don’t know where that came from,” he said.</p><p> </p><p>“I didn’t say you should stop doing it,” Kuroo hummed, “In fact, I rather liked it. It’s been a long time since someone called me Tetsurou.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh-” Suga didn’t know what to say to that one, so he just stayed quiet, looking back over at the people dancing.</p><p> </p><p> It was weird. They were no longer the new wide eyed guests in Hellstruck, looking around at the pristine surfaces and bright lights for the first time. They were the ones standing in the corners smiling slightly as they made friends, relaxed and took the edge off their days doing what they enjoyed with the company. Oikawa and Iwaizumi dancing, Akaashi and Bokuto talking almost shyly, and Sugawara nowhere to be seen on the first floor, but somewhere in the maze of rooms that the upper floor of the club held. </p><p> </p><p>Nishinoya had all but been forgotten about, even though he had come with them. He was one of those. The sea of people everyone saw when they arrived, all swaying to the music and dancing with drinks that they didn’t really need. One of those with no soul. It was only now that he was one of them that he could see just how many people had been influenced. How could no one see it? The smiles were all fake, the drinks were always full. How did they not notice the singular bartender and small queue? With so many people here, it should be impossible.</p><p> </p><p>But it wasn’t.</p><p> </p><p>And no one here knew about demigods or even thought anything was remotely amiss. The second anyone set a foot in this building, they were trapped. It was like a spider's web. And Kuroo Tetsurou was the spider controlling them all.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Truth Will Out</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>
  <em>"The enemy of truth is blind acceptance,"</em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Akaashi was working as normal, having finished his class and heading straight to the cafe near campus. It was hidden from most of the world, so for him and for the customers it was a quiet retreat to get away from the busy streets and the city feel. Today was especially quiet apart from a few of the regulars, so he was just cleaning and pottering around, waiting for whoever would walk through the doors next.</p><p> </p><p>Akaashi knew he enjoyed his job more than Sugawara enjoyed his, and he didn’t envy his friend at all. Not if they were only comparing jobs. One of the good things about working in the cafe was that he could zone out. Making drinks, preparing the food, it was all second nature to him now and he was pretty sure he could do it with his eyes closed.</p><p> </p><p>This was usually a good thing. Today however, it wasn’t. He had time to think, time to worry, time to feel the anxiety rushing through him. He was thinking about when things started to change. The first time they went to Hellstruck, had met Oikawa, Bokuto had stopped him from being pushed over, and they’d been so worried about what would happen if their abilities were found out. So why weren’t they so worried? The threat was still the same.</p><p> </p><p>He was snapped out of his thoughts by the tinkle of the little bell over the entrance to the cafe and the following;</p><p> </p><p>“Akaashi!” </p><p> </p><p>“Bokuto, please keep your voice down. This is a quiet place for people to retreat, not like your club,” Akaashi chastised him, sighing. The bouncer looked around to see the few people in the cafe giving him the same look, but when he quietened down, they returned to whatever they were doing.</p><p> </p><p>“Sorry, I’m just used to being loud,” he admitted with a quiet laugh.</p><p> </p><p>“You know, for the future,” Akaashi replied. “What would you like to drink?” He knew Bokuto was here to meet him for when he got off his shift, but he wasn’t sure he was actually looking forward to that. Well, his heart was, but head most certainly was overthinking everything.</p><p> </p><p>“To drink… how about decaf? I think the last time I had coffee I got so hyper a couple of friends had to work out how to calm me down,” Bokuto said.</p><p> </p><p>“That’s a sensible choice,” Akaashi agreed, moving around behind the counter to make the drink. He could feel Bokuto watching every move he made. It didn’t put him off, since his body was on autopilot but it was a little distracting. “Any food to go with that?”</p><p> </p><p>“Nope, and can I have it in a takeout cup? I just prefer it in them? And it saves you washing up too,” Bokuto hummed.</p><p> </p><p>Akaashi hadn’t realised that Bokuto thought so much about what he had to do when he finished his shift, but then again, he couldn’t read minds. That was more Sugawara’s skillset. But he did as Bokuto requested, putting the drink in a takeout cup and handing it over to him.</p><p> </p><p>“£3.47,” he told Bokuto. It was odd being like this, with a counter in between them. It was a lot more symbolic than Akaashi realised. He was effectively being blocked from him. It hadn’t occurred to him before, but he was thinking about it more and more now. He knew that Sugawara and Iwaizumi had spoken about relationships, and who they thought was attractive, and only now, with Bokuto standing in front of him, did he realise what a big part of his life he could potentially be missing out on.</p><p> </p><p>“…ashi? Akaashi? You okay there?” Bokuto asked, raising an eyebrow. He was holding out the money, but got no response.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, sorry. I zoned out. A little tired is all. Classes then work will do that to someone,” he brushed it off quickly, giving Bokuto the correct change and waiting for him to go and sit down before he let out a heavy sigh and leant back against the counter, facing away from the seating area. </p><p> </p><p>Now was not the time to have an existential crisis. He needed to finish his shift, clean up and then talk to Bokuto, though that was going to be a lot more difficult now.</p><p> </p><p>He took a little longer than usual cleaning up and locking everything up out the back after making himself a drink. Once he was done however, and there was nothing else he could faff about with, he headed over to the booth where Bokuto was still waiting for him. He had patience, Akaashi mused, or was that stubbornness?</p><p> </p><p>“Are you done now?” Bokuto asked with a small hum.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, I just need to lock the door behind me when I leave,” Akaashi nodded. “Is there a reason you want to talk to me?” Akaashi hadn’t expected Bokuto to react with a frown to that question, and he opened his mouth to correct what he meant, but was cut off before he even started.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes… and no,” Bokuto sighed. “I don’t need a reason to talk to you, but today I do have a reason for talking to you, I mean.” </p><p> </p><p>“Okay?” Akaashi questioned, encouraging him to carry on, though there was a long moment of silence, in which Akaashi busied himself by taking a drink.</p><p> </p><p>“If I tell you something, will you keep it a secret?” Bokuto asked, visibly hesitant to say the words. This was a side of him that Akaashi hadn’t seen before, but he didn’t think that was a bad thing. It wasn’t like he could do anything about their situation.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, of course,” Akaashi nodded, and as he did, he felt a cool breeze. Looking over at the door he frowned, it was still shut. Maybe it was just his imagination. His attention turned back to Bokuto when he sighed. “You keep sighing. It’s not good for your health. Whatever it is, tell me.”</p><p> </p><p>“Well, I wanna apologise first, cause I’m a demigod, and I just used my power on you,” Bokuto told Akaashi, a little ashamed. “I’m a Hecate demigod, so whenever I imbue my questions with power and someone responds it creates a binding contract, so anything I tell you now you won’t be able to tell anyone, including your friends. You’ll only be able to talk to me about it…” Bokuto explained.</p><p> </p><p>“That’s…” Akaashi trailed off, thinking about everything. “So I’m guessing you approached me because you know I’m a demigod too then.” That explained a lot. He wasn’t interested in him at all.</p><p> </p><p>“No!” he denied loudly. “No, I could have spoken to any of you or your friends in that case. I didn’t even know you were one the first night you were in the club, I just thought you were really pretty…” Bokuto trailed off, looking away. “You’re distracting me! This isn’t what I wanted to talk to you about.”</p><p> </p><p>“What did you want to talk about?” Akaashi chuckled at the almost childish way Bokuto could get distracted. But he really didn’t know what to say or think about being called pretty.</p><p> </p><p>“The club. Hellstruck. You and your friends. Kuroo. Oikawa,” Bokuto told Akaashi, almost blurting it all out at once.</p><p> </p><p>“Well let’s start from the beginning then shall we?” Akaashi suggested, and Bokuto nodded in agreement.</p><p> </p><p>“From the beginning. Well, the beginning was 500 years ago when I was still like you,” Bokuto told Akaashi, already giving him a headache.</p><p> </p><p>“Five hundred-”</p><p> </p><p>“Please save questions until the end. If I start, I don’t think I’ll be able to stop…” Bokuto admitted, almost pleading with Akaashi at this point. “I haven’t spoken to anyone about any of this in so long and I feel like I’m gonna explode…”</p><p> </p><p>“Okay, I’ll save them.”</p><p> </p><p>“Thank you. So five hundred years ago ….”</p><p> </p><p>———————</p><p> </p><p>Bokuto knew about his abilities from a young age, having inadvertently used them on many people only to have them follow through on a deal that he barely knew he’d made. It varied from ridiculous feats like saving someone’s life with a few words, to small things like borrowing a pencil in class that barely seemed meaningful to anyone. But as he grew up, he started to notice a trend. Whenever he’d shake on a deal, they would always follow through. Though it was the same on his end too. He could make deals with people, telling them he’d do something, regardless of what it was, and for a time, he had the ability to achieve that goal.</p><p> </p><p>He kept it quiet, it was only natural for him to do after an incident of someone suspecting him of some sort of witchcraft, but he made deals at school, small things like getting someone in trouble, getting someone out of trouble. He was aware that he was aging differently to his classmates, not necessarily slower, but differently, like time applied differently to him. As he grew up, he started experimenting on unsuspecting people, telling them he could give them certain things, for different things in return, and while he gained these things, everything seemed to shift around him each time he made a deal. Like a contract, something that linked him to that person until the deal was completed.</p><p> </p><p>Bokuto was still in his experimental phase when he came across two people who caught his attention, and he wasn’t one to say no to his instincts. Though, he had to admit, he wasn’t the best at understand why he was driven to do things. He made his way across the square to the two figures that had been standing there for a long while looking at the signs. Weird, Bokuto thought, they were pretty self explanatory.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey, are you two lost?” he asked, almost sauntering up to them. No one expected someone special to be in the body of a teenaged boy who didn’t know any better. Especially one with spiked up hair that was a weird colour and an almost goofy grin. His appearance really did help in these situations, even if he was sometimes teased and bullied about it. But that seemed to be a constant throughout his childhood.</p><p> </p><p>“Hm? That depends. Are you asking about physical, spiritual, or emotional?” one of them replied with a slightly amused expression. That was not the answer Bokuto was expecting at all, and his friend seemed to be hiding a small grin behind his hand. Were they messing with him? They were literally looking at a signpost. Wasn’t that enough of an answer to the question?</p><p> </p><p>“Uh, like literally. You’ve been standing here for a while?” Bokuto asked, almost unsure as he looked between the two of them, frowning slightly. “I can show you where you need to go if you want? But I’m gonna need some form of payment in return.” He wasn’t exactly someone who knew how to hold back. Everything was straightforward with him, even if his words didn’t necessarily mean what most people thought they meant.</p><p> </p><p>“What do you want in payment?” the first guy asked again, “I have plenty of things that you might want.” If only Bokuto knew just how true those words were, he might not have made the deal. It wasn’t like he knew any differently. He hadn’t met any others like him before.</p><p> </p><p>“Nothing much really. Just a piece of your time,” Bokuto answered, shrugging and kicking a rock that had caught his interest. Bits of speech that people used on a regular basis came in handy when he was trying new things. Especially like this, and he wasn’t even lying, so even if someone was a human lie detector, they couldn’t pick him out. He was, however, surprised when they both replied positively and agreed.</p><p> </p><p>“Then of course, please show us the way.” That had been Bokuto’s first mistake. He left the exact wording to someone else. He realised this a moment later, and everything after then was out of his control. He just didn’t quite realise it yet.</p><p> </p><p>“Why don’t you come back tomorrow and we’ll make another deal with you?” That was when it clicked. He probably should have recognised it sooner, but it just didn’t register. They knew about his abilities, and they weren’t affected by them. They were like him.</p><p><br/>
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</p><p>The next day, Bokuto did decide to go back, after a restless night of trying to decide what the two wanted. Obviously they’d been waiting around for him to approach them. They’d been waiting for him to notice them. But what harm could it do? If they knew about him then maybe there was a way they could work with each other? </p><p> </p><p>Again. If only Bokuto had known that was exactly what the stranger wanted him to think.</p><p> </p><p>“You know, don’t you?” was the first thing Bokuto asked when he saw the two again, only to receive a smirk and a light laugh that sent shivers down his spine in return.</p><p> </p><p>“Let’s start with introductions first shall we? My name is Kuroo Tetsurou, and this is my companion Oikawa Tooru,”  Kuroo chuckled at Bokuto, who just stared. How were they so calm about this whole situation?</p><p> </p><p>“Bokuto Koutarou. Can we get on with how you know about me and what I can do?” he asked, “Are you the same? Can you make deals?” He was dying to know. No one knew about him, and every time he’d tried to research it, he’d come up blank. Not that he was the best at researching in the first place.</p><p> </p><p>“No, we can’t make deals, but we are like you,” Kuroo hummed. “Do you know what you are?” The question perplexed Bokuto. What he was? What did that even mean? He was him, a human…right? Though he supposed other humans couldn’t do what he did.</p><p> </p><p>“What am I?” he asked slowly, like he was a wild animal being cornered into something he didn’t like. Little did he know that he was already caged.</p><p> </p><p>“A demigod. We think you’re related to the goddess Hecate, the deal maker,” Oikawa piped up from next to Kuroo, smiling widely at Bokuto as he broke the news to him.</p><p> </p><p>“We’re also demigods, but we have different relatives, and different … abilities,” Kuroo explained, sitting back in his seat. They’d decided to sit in the corner of the inn with drinks. It was a loud enough place for them not to be overheard, but isolated enough for no one to eavesdrop easily.</p><p> </p><p>“So?” Bokuto asked, indignantly. He was interested, and it was something that he hadn’t known before, but he wasn’t going to be drawn in so easily. He would be ridiculously dumb to just jump in at the deep end, though the expression on Kuroo’s face told him that he was already there, mid jump, with no way to go back.</p><p> </p><p>“So, you’re going to show us the way, aren’t you? You never specified if we were lost physically, emotionally or spiritually,” Kuroo told him with a small smirk. Bokuto felt his blood run cold.</p><p> </p><p>“I am. What do you want from that deal, and do you know just how much time I could be taking from you?” Bokuto asked. He was a little relieved to know that one day Kuroo would die, and his deal would end with him.</p><p> </p><p>“Take as much as you’d like. I have an infinite amount of it. I’d like you to show us the way to the most souls. That’s where we’re heading,” Kuroo practically purred. Bokuto had no idea what the guy was talking about. At least, he didn’t think he did. Not until it was specified. There was that part of him, the demigod part he supposed, that always pulled through. Whatever deal he made, whatever situation he was in - good or bad - it gave him the power to pull through and complete his deal.</p><p> </p><p>Except this time, there was no end to the deal in sight. The density of souls to location was ever changing. And if Kuroo was telling the truth and had infinite time, then Bokuto was going to be stuck with him forever. He had so many questions. Why souls? What was to be gained from this? How had he been beaten at his own game? Okay, no, he knew that answer to that one. These two knew more about his ability than even he did. Maybe he could learn from them about this goddess Hecate and how to use her power.</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t worry Bokuto, I’ll make it worth your while. You like adventure, and partying, right?”</p><p><br/>
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</p><p>————————</p><p><br/>
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</p><p>“Over the years, Kuroo has taken so many demigod souls, and every time, the person's power has diminished. It didn’t disappear entirely because they still had the blood of a god or goddess running through them, but they could do whatever they wanted without feeling the pull of their relation upstairs.”</p><p> </p><p>That part, Akaashi did understand, and it did sink in.</p><p> </p><p>“Can I ask questions now?”</p><p> </p><p>“Go ahead.”</p><p> </p><p>“You’re saying that if I don’t have a soul, I won’t feel bound by any law my goddess put in place?” Akaashi asked. He’d completely forgotten about the whole Kuroo thing, and it didn’t hit him yet that Sugawara was talking to him. Not to mention that his two best friends and he had been pretty much entirely ensnared by ancient demigods.</p><p> </p><p>“That’s exactly what I’m saying,” Bokuto nodded, watching Akaashi closely. “I know it’s not exactly a perfect solution, and Kuroo will have limited control over you if he is in possession of your soul, so he’ll forbid you from telling anyone about any of his scheme and everything, but you’ll be free.”</p><p> </p><p>The feeling that came over Akaashi was mixed. He could identify elation, fear, horror, disgust, hope and so many other things that he wasn’t sure about. But having his soul taken seemed like it would be a painful process, and the control side of it didn’t seem pretty. He didn’t like the idea that someone else would be able to control his every action.</p><p> </p><p>“I just thought I’d tell you, cause I really like you…and I might be being selfish but that’s sorta who I am,” Bokuto explained, reaching across the table to take Akaashi’s hand in his own.</p><p> </p><p>“I…think I understand?” Akaashi replied unsurely. He was so stuck in his head that he didn’t realise Bokuto was holding his hand. Not only was this an existential crisis now, but it was just a crisis that Akaashi didn’t know what to do with. There were so many things he could do, but he didn’t know if any of them were the right choice. And with the deal he made with Bokuto, he couldn’t talk to his friends about it. He didn’t doubt that Bokuto would lie about magic like that and then tell him so many secrets at once.</p><p> </p><p>“Do you want me to walk you home?” Bokuto asked, changing the topic and smiling brightly. He didn’t want to dwell on it, and the mood got heavy very quickly.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, I’ll finish my drink here first, but that would be nice,” Akaashi agreed. He needed to think about this more, but right now he was with Bokuto and that was enough to make him feel like he was floating away, though he’d never tell Bokuto that.</p><p> </p><p>“Okay!” Bokuto grinned, and Akaashi had to look away, and only then did he look at the table and realise that their hands were joined together. Was this okay? Could he do this with his link to Artemis? He didn’t know what happened if someone tried. He’d never met another Artemis demigod that had tried. They all just said that they weren’t attracted to anyone at all.</p><p> </p><p>So what was this?</p><p> </p><p>“You need to finish your drink too Bokuto,” Akaashi pointed out, and Bokuto blinked in surprise but nodded and picked his cup up. He’d totally forgotten about it honestly. He was still thinking about whether Akaashi would choose to have his soul taken. They hadn’t known each other long, but even Bokuto, who wasn’t interested in dating or even thinking about other people felt their connection.</p><p> </p><p>He downed the rest of his drink, wrinkling his nose slightly at the now only lukewarm drink. They’d been here far longer than he expected.</p><p> </p><p>“Are you ready now?” Bokuto asked.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes,” Akaashi nodded. He picked up both cups, disconnecting his and Bokuto’s hands, which felt wrong, but he didn’t think about it as he put both cups in the rubbish bin, before taking off his barista apron and putting on a jacket instead. “Are you?”</p><p> </p><p>“Of course, let’s go!” Bokuto hummed, opening the door for Akaashi and letting him go out first.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>SECOND PIECE OF ART FOR THIS CHAPTER IS HERE:</p><p>https://twitter.com/ledd_djva/status/1369669043272224769</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Lovestruck</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>“False words are not only evil in themselves, but they infect the soul with evil,”</em>
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<p>Oikawa chewed on the inside of his cheek with worry and he flexed his now clammy hands. For the first time in a long while he was apprehensive. He’d forgotten what it was like to approach Kuroo with an idea that the other might not like, knowing full well that the other could destroy him in a matter of seconds. But at least he wasn’t a lie detector like Sugawara was. Maybe that was the reason Kuroo wanted him so badly?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He was getting off track. Hellstruck was his home as much as it was Kuroo’s and Bokuto’s. He navigated the halls like he’d been there for years, guessing where Kuroo might be currently. It wasn’t much of a guess. Kuroo obsessed over souls. Most of his time was spent deciding on which one he was going to consume next.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What have I told you about coming in here without knocking?” Kuroo asked as Oikawa came in, but it wasn’t a heavy question. Oikawa was Kuroo’s oldest companion. If there was anyone he’d say yes to it would be him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Yeah yeah Tetsu. You don’t lure poor lowly souls in here during the day anyway,” Oikawa hummed, sitting down on the sofa in the room. The air in here was always a lot heavier than anywhere else, but it wasn’t surprising when the tens, if not hundreds of souls sitting on shelves around them were taken into account. It was like a small army in one room.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You seem tense, distracted,” Kuroo noted as he put one of the bottles down after closing it. “What’s on your mind Tooru?” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Hm? My mind? Thoughts of course. More than can be said for you~” Oikawa responded lightly, teasing. He was trying to turn the attention away from him while he figured out the best way to ask Kuroo what he wanted.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You’ve always been a lousy liar. I can tell, remember,” Kuroo chuckled a little. “You know better than to try and get a rise out of me to change the subject.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It was true. Kuroo seemed like an unsolvable puzzle, wrapped in an impossible enigma locked in a chest with no key. Even Oikawa hadn’t been able to work him out. And that was part of the alluring nature of working with Kuroo. Oikawa knew what he wanted, but not why.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I’m just curious,” Oikawa started, before chickening out, “I’m curious about your plans for the demi’s we’ve currently got marinating. You seem rather fixated on them right now.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I’m sure we’ve been over this before Tooru. Demigod souls are rare, and while they’re a lot less malleable, they hold more life. They increase the strength of our abilities as well as lengthening our lifespan,” Kuroo explained. “They’re also the only ones that know about the existence of other demigods. I want to know the location of that school.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Of course. Kuroo was always looking at the next step. Well, the next fifty steps. Oikawa was convinced that Kuroo had no sense of time anymore. That Bokuto’s magic had warped his perspective. Losing time to a deal and gaining time from souls. Just how much of the original Kuroo was still left?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Right right,” Oikawa hummed, falling silent. There was only so much delaying the inevitable, and Kuroo always figured him out in the end anyway. He’d been so transparent when they first met that Kuroo was able to figure him out in only a few moments. He wanted to say that he’d learned something since then. How to hide a part of himself away, but there was always that nagging feeling that told him Kuroo knew exactly what he was thinking.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You’re not getting doubts now are you?” Kuroo asked. There it was. The question he’d been dreading.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“No, not at all. It’s just a shame cause Iwa-chan is pretty attractive,” he played it off for now, hoping Kuroo wouldn’t see through it. It was a half truth at best.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Iwa-chan? Nicknames make things personal. I think you’re getting too attached.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I’m not!” Oikawa protested, before realising his near mistake. Kuroo turned to face him with a raised brow and the tension in the room seemed to increase.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You’re not?” Kuroo asked slowly. “Then what have you come here to ask me? You know that beating around the bush gets us nowhere.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Crap.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I’ve been with you 500 years. Well, 498 years in a few weeks,” Oikawa got sidetracked again. “I mean. I don’t think I’ve really asked for anything serious in that time apart from to help you and have my own fun too. So I wanted you to consider my proposal of keeping Iwaizumi’s soul for myself…”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>There was a silence that fell over the room, and even the souls in their jars seemed to stop moving. Like they were listening in on what was going on.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Of course I’ll make sure he tells no one about all of this. But I’ve grown fond of him and I want to keep him for myself,” Oikawa continued, even though in reality, Iwaizumi was the only person who had looked at him like a real person before he knew about him being a demigod. It was sobering and it made him feel alive. More alive than he had felt in a long long time.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Kuroo still said nothing, and the silence in the room started to get uncomfortable.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Oikawa felt like he couldn’t breathe. He knew Kuroo needed time to think about it, but this was painful-</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“No.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>No? Oikawa blinked and frowned slightly. He’d seen Kuroo’s mouth move, and heard the words, but that didn’t mean it felt like he’d actually said the word.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Pardon?” he asked.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I said no,” Kuroo repeated.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Care to explain why?” Oikawa asked, voice still light, but every limb felt like it was being dragged through water.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I don’t need to explain myself to you,” Kuroo told him firmly, all light tones gone from his voice, before he sighed slightly and relented a little. “Attachment in our cases is useless. They’ll die and pass on and it will only hurt more,” Kuroo told him. “I want to save you from that pain.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Oikawa had no idea what to say. Sure, he knew Iwaizumi would die before him. He’d seen his family grow old and die before him, what made this any different? </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Did five hundred years of loyalty really mean so little to Kuroo?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What about Bokuto? With his boy-toy Artemis demi?” Oikawa asked, getting defensive.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Bokuto is magically linked to me. He can’t betray me. I trust you Oikawa, but with affairs of the heart, you’re especially vulnerable, Aphrodite,” Kuroo told him. “That is all I’ll say on the matter.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Oikawa just stared at Kuroo for a moment, mouth slightly agape. Was he calling him weak? After all they’d been through?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>No.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Kuroo was just straight up cruel. He really was the living embodiment of Hades. Hell’s guardian.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Well fine. If that was how it was going to be, Oikawa would show him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I do not understand, nor do I agree with your decision, but I will accept them nonetheless,” he replied, his old dialect almost showing through.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Leaving the room a moment later, he decided he was never going back. He most certainly did not accept Kuroo’s ruling. Five hundred years and he still didn’t trust him. Kuroo got everything he wanted, all the freedom he wanted, and Oikawa didn’t get the one thing he’d asked for in five hundred years.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He was practically oozing with hostility by the time he’d left the club. They’d had their fair share of disagreements over the years, but they usually came round. Not this time.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Oikawa made a beeline for Iwaizumi’s house, knowing his schedule by now. He’d get home from training about the same time Oikawa would get there. He was going to tell him everything. He was going to tell him everything and get them both out of there.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It took five hundred years for Kuroo’s allure to fade, but now Oikawa saw him for who he was, and he wanted no part in it. He was so absorbed in his malicious thoughts of the kniving Hades demigod that he didn’t notice Hanamaki follow after him at a distance from the club. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>It was only when Oikawa saw Iwaizumi in one piece and with a small smile on his face that he actually became aware of his surroundings again. Like the entire existence of Iwaizumi calmed his inner turmoil and solidified his decision to leave Kuroo and that life behind. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Hajime,” Oikawa breathed in relief, immediately wrapping the other in a hug, which was graciously returned. He guessed that Iwaizumi wasn’t used to seeing this side of him. Usually it was all jokes and rough edges with them both, but not now.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Tooru, what’s going on?”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. K̸̡͚̤̞̠̖̱͍̣̭̐̆̃͆͋̈́́̏̈̈́͐̇̍̃̈́̕̕͠ǘ̷̧̡̨̯̘͉̞̖̜̣̣̜̜̜͕̼̫̳͎̼̫̳̩͖̦̭́̔̌͜r̴̢̭̤̙̖͉̺̹̜̖̣̳͇̳̤͎̻̍̀̽̐̂͊̐̎̈́͂̌͐̋͆̐̎̌̿̕̚͠͝o̶̡̯͎͖̗̟̗̽̈͋̂͊͊̅̋̈́̓͑̏̇̏̋̄̾͒͒͐̚̚͝͝ơ̷̧̨͖̰̞̹͉͓̬̰̠͔̙̯͈̱̼̱͊̂͆͒̈̔̊̋͐̂͑̿̈̓͆̆̄͛͛̾̚͝</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>
  <em>"I will always love the false image I had of you.</em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Oikawa was resentful of a lot of things, but he learned to appreciate a few things in life, even if none of those things were really what he wanted to do. Being the youngest of four brothers really put a damper on everything. The unfortunate addition to this was that he loved attention. Any sort of attention. Once he was old enough to start looking after himself, his parents’ focus turned back to his older brothers, and that just wouldn’t do.</p><p> </p><p>He tried to outdo them in something to get some sort of attention from his parents, but the problem was that his brothers were all entirely different, and between them, there was very little that they weren’t accomplished in. Oikawa came to this realisation in his early adulthood, and figured if he wasn’t going to get praise, he was going to stand out in his own way. He was definitely resentful of his family ,especially because everyone else he knew practically adored him for everything he did.</p><p> </p><p>It might not be surprising, as the demigod of Aphrodite, but Oikawa started looking for a different sort of attention. One that his family could not give him. And while it wasn’t common for a male to be in that line of work, it was certainly an attraction for a certain type of people. Not only did it give Oikawa leverage over them, but because anything homosexual was positively frowned upon in these times.</p><p> </p><p>But despite all that, he was still part of his family. They couldn’t change his blood. And that meant he was invited to all sorts of parties and events. Parties where he found a lot of fun in getting attention. These were his favourite highs. The staring across the room, the tension that no one else could feel. It was pure bliss for him, and he didn’t know why, nor did he care at this stage in his life.</p><p> </p><p>It was at one of these fancy parties that Oikawa was first surprised. He had been almost toying with the idea of trying to play his game when someone brushed past him, almost wrapping their arm around his waist to gently nudge him out of the way. That was new. And it was a new sort of game now.</p><p> </p><p>Who was this person? Did they know who he wa-</p><p> </p><p>“Excuse me, Oikawa,” they apologised, flashing a charming smile at him while continuing their way.</p><p> </p><p>And he was already on the back foot. It had been a long time since Oikawa Tooru had been outdone. And if there was one thing he disliked, it was losing.</p><p> </p><p>But there was a small part of him that could feel his heart almost fluttering. He had never been approached first before. He didn’t even know the man who had spoken to him. But he was half way across the room before Oikawa had realised he was still in his head, and then he was gone.</p><p> </p><p>With three words and one action, Oikawa’s world had been turned upside down.</p><p> </p><p>———————</p><p> </p><p>A few days later, Oikawa was shopping. Just generally browsing because he had nothing else to do, and being at home was a drag. Not to mention he had to listen to his siblings reel off their repertoire of achievements.</p><p> </p><p>“I was wondering when I’d be wandering into you again.”</p><p> </p><p>Oikawa spun around so fast he nearly gave himself whiplash.</p><p> </p><p>“You!” he exclaimed, not sure it if was accusatory or in relief. A shit eating grin was what he received in return.</p><p> </p><p>“Me. It’s nice to meet you in a less…stiff atmosphere,” the stranger held his hand out to Oikawa to shake, and Oikawa complied without even really thinking, only to make a sound of surprise when the stranger kissed the back of his hand instead.</p><p> </p><p>“Who are you? You can’t go round doing things like that without so much as an introduction!” Oikawa bristled. Again, he was being played at his own game. Or so it felt like. When he heard the mans voice again, he almost felt like his arm was around his waist again. Not that he’d been thinking about it or anything. This was the sort of attention he had been seeking his entire life, and even if it was in miniscule, he had no idea how to react to it. Especially when coming from a very attractive, mysterious stranger.</p><p> </p><p>“Kuroo Tetsurou,” he replied, “I’m new to the area, but I’ve been around for a while.” </p><p> </p><p>Kuroo Tetsurou. A name that wouldn’t leave Oikawa’s mind until he’d worked him out.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s nice to meet you properly, Kuroo Tetsurou. Would you mind explaining to me why you…” he gestured vaguely, only to receive a wider smirk in return and Oikawa made a small grumble of frustration. “Why would you… kiss my hand in public. And at the party! You- you know what!”</p><p> </p><p>“And how else was I supposed to greet someone so interesting?” Kuroo asked in response. “You’re special, and different. In a good way of course. I’d like to get to know that side of you~”</p><p> </p><p>And there Oikawa’s mind went again, reeling. He’d never met someone so open with his words before. It was almost flustering.</p><p> </p><p>“Then set a date and time and stop sneaking up on me.”</p><p> </p><p>“How about tomorrow, same time, in the town square and we can go for a little walk.” </p><p> </p><p>“I look forward to it~” Oikawa replied with a coy half smile, half smirk, before brushing past Kuroo and heading in any direction that was away from the shop.</p><p> </p><p>And so began Oikawa’s journey of following the most interesting man he had ever met.</p>
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<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Fleeing the storm</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>
  <em>"When the person you run away to becomes the person you want to run away from, you know it's over."</em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Iwaizumi hadn’t expected the sudden onslaught of emotion and affection that Oikawa greeted him with, but that also alerted him to something being wrong.</p><p> </p><p>“Tooru, what’s going on?” he asked softly. “Why is Hanamaki here?”</p><p> </p><p>Oikawa spun around at that and inhaled sharply.</p><p> </p><p>“We need to leave the city. Now,” Oikawa told him seriously.</p><p> </p><p>“We can’t just leave. Talk to me. Tell me what’s happening,” Iwaizumi frowned more as he took in Oikawa’s emotional and physical state. He was a mess.</p><p> </p><p>“Kuroo is going to take your soul and it’s probably going to leave you a shell of who you are if it doesn’t hurt or kill you. He did it to Nishinoya, he’s going to do the same with Suga and Akaashi, and I’ve been helping him for the past five hundred years and he doesn’t trust me to do one thing that I want and I just realised how cruel he is,” Oikawa took a breath. “We need to leave. Now.”</p><p> </p><p>How in the hell was Iwaizumi supposed to process that?</p><p> </p><p>“Slow down,” Iwaizumi almost blanched at the amount of information. “First come inside. We can go back to the beach house if you need a break from everything.”</p><p> </p><p>“No, Hajime. You need to get your closest personal belongings and then we need to get in the car and we need to leave,” Oikawa insisted again. “The beach house is too obvious.” They got inside and Iwaizumi finally got Oikawa to sit down, but he was far from relaxed.</p><p> </p><p>“Talk me through everything so I understand.” Iwaizumi took Oikawa’s hands in his own to stop him from fidgeting nervously. He’s never seen him look so on edge before.</p><p> </p><p>“Kuroo Tetsurou, is a Hades demigod. He has been for the past millennium,” Oikawa started, taking a steadying breath, “I don’t know the full story, he’s secretive, but one of his divine abilities allows him to take people’s souls, and then to extend his lifespan, he consumes the souls. That’s how he’s been alive so long. I don’t know why he’s doing it, maybe to find someone, or somethin-”</p><p> </p><p>“Tooru, facts.” Iwaizumi cut him off, squeezing his hands.</p><p> </p><p>“Right, right. Having souls means that he can control the person. It makes you a sort of shell. He showed me when we first met 500 years ago. I didn’t much care for anything then, so I joined him. But then I met you and you looked at me like a real person, like you actually saw me… Tetusrou has taken Nishinoya’s soul already, and he plans on taking yours, Akaashi’s and Sugawara’s. So I asked him if I could have your soul so I could keep it safe because I don’t want someone else interfering in our relationship but he said no, and for some reason the whole charming facade he put up just shattered and I don’t want to be around him anymore.”</p><p> </p><p>It was easier to process this time. Easier to understand. But that didn’t mean it actually computed in Iwaizumi’s mind. That didn’t matter right now, either. He’d have time to work through everything when he and his friends were safe.</p><p> </p><p>“Then why was Hanamaki following you?” he asked, standing and pulling Oikawa towards his room so he could gather his more important things. “I need to tell Suga and Akaashi about this too…”</p><p> </p><p>“Probably to spy on me for Kuroo. The first few hundred years of consuming souls feels like you’re on a constant high and nothing could go wrong. I’ve recently gotten off that wagon and I feel thin, stretched, I don’t know how Kuroo is still doing it,” Oikawa rambled slightly.</p><p> </p><p>That made more sense, but Iwaizumi was worried about the consequences of Hanamaki being here. Was he going to forcibly stop them? It was pretty stupid to go up against an Ares demigod, but from what Oikawa had said, souls were like some kind of steriod drug thing.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s alright. We’ll go somewhere safe, but we need to shake Hanamaki. What sort of demi is he?” Iwaizumi asked.</p><p> </p><p>“Okay, good-” Oikawa sighed with relief that Iwaizumi hadn’t really questioned him too hard.</p><p> </p><p>“This doesn’t mean you’re out of explaining everything. That’ll come when we’re on the road,” Iwaizumi stated almost coldly, but he still cared.</p><p> </p><p>“...Makki is a child of Dionysus. He doesn’t really have much power that’s combat oriented,” Oikawa told him, not really sure what Iwaizumi wanted to ask him specifically. “I don’t think Kuroo expected me to come straight to you, but either way, we won’t have much of a head start, and we’ll have the wrath of hell behind us.”</p><p> </p><p>Once Iwaizumi had gotten everything he needed, he grabbed his keys and headed straight for his car. He could call the other two once he and Oikawa were safe.</p><p> </p><p>Thankfully, Hanamaki didn’t push himself to face a demigod of Ares. They all knew which way that would have ended. But it also meant that Hanamaki was free to run back to Kuroo and tell him everything.</p><p> </p><p>“You should have at least knocked him out,” Oikawa said.</p><p> </p><p>“No. I’m not going to make this fight into something worse than it already is,” Iwaizumi rebuked.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s already five hundred years worth of shit. What’s one more knocked out guy?” Oikawa didn't understand how Iwaizumi wasn’t mad enough to want to take it out on Hanamaki, but he let the subject drop after that.</p><p> </p><p>Both of them started to relax once they were seeing signs saying they were exiting the city, and Oikawa sunk more into his seat, brooding over everything that had happened. Kuroo had royally fucked him over and he was angry.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey, angry isn’t a good look for you. You’ll get wrinkles.” Iwaizumi snapped him out of his thought process, reaching across the console to rest a hand on his thigh. “Whatever’s going on, we’ll work through it, together.”</p><p> </p><p>Oikawa smiled then, a small genuine smile. He wasn’t alone anymore. But he wondered how he was going to tell Iwaizumi about his now shorter than average lifespan without souls. He wondered how he was going to talk about the countless crimes and atrocities he had committed under Kuroo. But he would tell Iwaizumi, because they were going to work through everything together. Somewhere far away, without Kuroo breathing down their necks and controlling their every move.</p><p> </p><p>“Okay Iwa-chan~”</p><p> </p><p>“Oi, how many times have I told you not to call me that!”</p>
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<a name="section0020"><h2>20. Now or Never</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>
  <em>"Sometimes there's no next time, no timeouts, no second chances. Sometimes, it's now or never."</em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Since meeting up with Bokuto at the coffee shop the first time, it had become sort of routine. Akaashi would tell Bokuto when he got off from work and then after he finished his shift they spoke for a while, discussing everything that had happened. And every time they spoke, Akaashi would come a little closer to making a decision.</p><p> </p><p>Bokuto knew it, and he knew that Akaashi knew it. There wasn’t really much choice when they could both see just how restricted Akaashi felt with his options in life.</p><p> </p><p>Today was a little different however. Bokuto went to meet Akaashi at the shop like usual, humming a song that he had in his head. One that was played far too often at the club. But he noticed that he was being followed. And it wasn’t just that he was being followed by someone he didn’t know either.</p><p> </p><p>“Mattsun, you know there’s no point in trying to spy on me,” he told the other bouncer. They worked together too often for Bokuto to not notice him. </p><p> </p><p>“Just following orders,” Matsukawa yawned as he caught up with Bokuto, who had stopped to wait for him.</p><p> </p><p>“Orders?”</p><p> </p><p>“Kuroo. ‘Parently Oikawa asked to keep his guy's soul and walked out. Haven’t heard from ‘hiro since so I’m pretty sure he wants to keep an eye on you both,” Matsukawa told him. </p><p> </p><p>“Makes sense,” Bokuto shrugged. Even though it really didn’t. The paranoia from the last soul Kuroo consumed was definitely affecting him more than he was letting on. There was no way Bokuto could betray Kuroo. They had a binding contract.</p><p> </p><p>“Nah, I’m pretty sure he’s gonna rush the other souls now. If you don’t persuade Mr Elegant Barrista soon it could happen by force,” Matsukawa confided. That wasn’t something Bokuto wanted to hear, but at least he had some heads up. He could tell Akaashi and advise him on the best course of action. </p><p> </p><p>“You can call him by his name, you know. He ain’t just a soul. This one’s a demigod. Might be hanging around with us if Oikawa fucks off,” Bokuto pondered. That wouldn’t be a bad idea, but he didn’t know what happened if someone who didn’t have a soul tried to consume a soul. Kuroo might know, but he’d never really thought to ask.</p><p> </p><p>“So long as you know what’s going on. I’m gonna hang around outside,” Matsukawa shrugged, sitting on a bench outside and splitting from Bokuto as the older of the two headed into the coffee shop.</p><p> </p><p>“Look who decided to finally show,” one of the other baristas teased and nudged Akaashi, giving him the counter to talk with Bokuto.</p><p> </p><p>“Shush. Do you want the same as usual, Bokuto?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yep! Do you think you could get off work a little early tonight though? It’s kinda important. Like soul shockingly important,” he told Akaashi with a smile, trying to hide his worry at what Matsukawa had told him. He watched as Akaashi looked towards his manager, the same person who had noticed his entry, and waited for them to nod before sighing in relief. </p><p> </p><p>“I’ll be out after I’ve made our drinks,” he said, and Bokuto nodded, going to sit down in their usual booth.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>—————————</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Once they were sitting down opposite each other in a quiet corner of the shop, Bokuto finally let out a sigh. There was no easy way to tell Akaashi about this.</p><p> </p><p>“You need to decide today, or tomorrow at the very latest,” he came out with. His head did not help to filter that at all. But usually Akaashi appreciated his straightforwardness, so he hoped this would be no different.</p><p> </p><p>“I told you that I needed time to think it over,” Akaashi replied immediately. That’s the response Bokuto had expected of him, and it made it no easier to tell him the truth about what was happening.</p><p> </p><p>“This is out of my hands. Oikawa rubbed Kuroo the wrong way and when Kuroo doesn’t get what he wants, people tend to get hurt,” Bokuto told Akaashi. “Don’t get me wrong, he’s a great guy to be around, and a lot of fun, but he has a plan. And when things don’t go according to plan, his Hades gets a little out of control.”</p><p> </p><p>“And this means I have to choose so soon, why?” Akaashi asked, raising an eyebrow. He worried vaguely about Iwaizumi considering he was closest to Oikawa. </p><p> </p><p>“Taking souls is an art. I’ve seen … I’ve seen Kuroo take souls and leave people completely debilitated because he was pissed at them,” Bokuto told Akaashi. “But I’ve also seen him take souls so tenderly that you can’t even feel it happening. In fact, they looked at peace with it. I don’t want him to hurt you, or even worse.”</p><p> </p><p>The explanation had had Akaashi frowning and he sighed heavily. He knew what he wanted, but he had been trying to justify it in himself. There was a part of him that didn’t want to go ahead with it, but he was pretty sure that was the same part of him that refused to be with anyone or even look at anyone. The part of him that connected him with the goddess Artemis. And while he probably shouldn’t have been ignoring a goddess, he could also feel his heart yearning for something. Someone. Bokuto.</p><p> </p><p>“I’ll do it,” he found himself saying, “So long as it doesn’t hurt or debilitate me. If Kuroo can promise you that, I’ll do it willingly.” That was a pretty big ask, but with the position Kuroo was currently in, Akaashi decided to hedge his bets that he wanted to stay on schedule.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m really sorry that you gotta choose now, but-”</p><p> </p><p>“Kuroo has a plan. You’ve mentioned. Why doesn’t he just change the plan though? It’s not like he answers to anyone, right?” Akaashi asked. “He’s his own boss, so what’s with the schedule?”</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t know, don’t care. I deal with him, he deals with me. We make it work,” Bokuto shrugged. “There are very few people who I care about. After being alive for so long and seeing so many people pass on that I care about…” His sentence trailed off and his gaze got distant for a moment. “But I do care about you. I want you to be free to love who you want to. Talking as someone who’s bound to another for the rest of eternity.”</p><p> </p><p>“I understand,” Akaashi said, reaching across the table to squeeze Bokuto’s hand and comfort him a little. “Thank you.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. I promise</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>
  <em>"Go for it now. The future is promised to no one."</em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Standing in front of Kuroo was a lot different than Akaashi had expected. He didn’t feel small or worthless like Bokuto had said others felt. Instead he was weirdly excited. This was his liberation. He was being granted a level of freedom that he hadn’t before felt.</p><p> </p><p>“I promise to you Koutarou, that I won’t hurt this demigod in the process of taking his soul,” Kuroo told Bokuto confidently. He wore a satisfied smirk more than anything.</p><p> </p><p>Akaashi could tell though, with what Bokuto had told him, that Kuroo was hiding an insurmountable amount of anger behind that expression. It was a mask, and Akaashi briefly wondered whether Sugawara had realised just what he was getting himself into. Did Sugawara already know about all of this? What about Iwaizumi? He’d disappeared a few days ago without a word. He and Oikawa took the car and vanished.</p><p> </p><p>“Awesome, let’s go,” Bokuto said, bouncing on the spot as he turned to look at Akaashi and nodded. The promise had been made, and all three of them knew that a promise made to Bokuto was an unbreakable one.</p><p> </p><p>Akaashi then stepped forward and watched Kuroo closely, like he was scrutinising him. He was trying to get a read on his thoughts and general mood, but it was impossible. Now that he was looking for it, Kuroo definitely had the aura of someone who had lived for over a thousand years.</p><p> </p><p>Without prompt, Kuroo met his gaze and they were both flung into their respective internal soulscapes. Akaashi looked down to see his own soul. A pure white orb that reminded him of the moon. But when he looked across at Kuroo, he could see his soul too. There couldn’t be two things any more different, he thought. Kuroo’s entire body was made up of wisps, he looked like a ghost. And there at the center of it all, was a small soul that more than anything, looked overwhelmed.</p><p> </p><p><em> “You know, Artemis, it’s rude to nose into other people’s souls.” </em> Kuroo spoke without speaking. His mouth didn’t move, but Akaashi clearly heard his voice, and the small quirk of a smirk told Akaashi that it was definitely him that spoke.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m curious by nature, what can I say?” Akaashi looked around at their soulscapes as Kuroo reached out to take his soul. It wasn’t something he was interested in seeing. He might’ve changed his mind.</p><p> </p><p>The moon hung high in the sky, looking like a soul in its own right. That wasn’t the only source of light though. The red hue caught Akaashi’s attention rather quickly, and he noticed the flames licking at their heels. So this was a combination of their divine connections; the flames of Hell and the moon of Artemis. </p><p> </p><p>Before he could look around more, they were back in the dark room in Hellstruck and Akaashi let out a deep sigh. In front of him, stood Kuroo with his soul. Which honestly was a little disconcerting.</p><p> </p><p>“As I understand it, you’ve already made a deal with Koutarou about not talking to anyone about what is going on here. However, I feel the need to warn you that I can enforce that should I think you’re going to tell someone,” Kuroo told Akaashi. “But because you’re here willingly, and my <em> friend </em> feels some sort of connection with you and I like you right now, I’ll allow you to keep your free will.”</p><p>
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</p><p>Bokuto grinned widely and clapped both of them on the shoulders. This was perfect. Everyone had what they wanted. Kuroo had the soul, Akaashi had freedom, and Bokuto had Akaashi...probably.</p><p> </p><p>“I understand,” Akaashi said, tearing his gaze away from the soul and looking over at Bokuto with a small smile.</p><p> </p><p>“Right! Well, we’ll be going now. I’ll be back later Tetsu,” Bokuto said, putting his hand on Akaashi’s back to guide him out of the room as Kuroo turned to store Akaashi’s soul in one of the numerous bottles and jars he had in the room.</p><p> </p><p>“Kou.” Kuroo stopped him just before he left the room, and Bokuto turned around. “Thank you.”</p><p> </p><p>“No problem. A promise is a promise,” Bokuto said with a smile, before shutting the door behind him.</p><p> </p><p>A promise was a promise even if it was one that went against all laws of nature.</p><p> </p><p>“Well, I don’t feel any different,” Akaashi said quietly, unsure whether it was just to himself or to Bokuto.</p><p> </p><p>“Kuroo left you with your free will because of your binding promise to me, it’s soul stuff. Complicated and unnecessary. The less you know the better off you’ll be,” Bokuto answered.</p><p> </p><p>“Hm, okay.”</p><p> </p><p>A silence fell over them as they left the club and in an unspoken agreement, headed towards their usual spot to talk. The cafe.</p><p> </p><p>But before they got too far, Akaashi suddenly stopped in his tracks, nearling causing Bokuto to trip over his own feet.</p><p> </p><p>“Everything okay?” he asked, noticing the deep frown on Akaashi’s expression. He didn’t immediately get an answer, which he’d come to learn wasn’t unlike Akaashi. Bokuto knew he liked to think things through before he spoke. Everything he did was calculated and with plenty of forethought.</p><p> </p><p>“I’d like you to kiss me, Bokuto,” Akaashi said, completely out of the blue, and instead of replying immediately with the first thing that came to mind, it took him a moment to put his thoughts into words.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh- wait what?” He was not expecting that sort of request. Though he probably should have, with Akaashi’s newfound freedom. And he didn’t think that Akaashi would ask his friends to do something like that.</p><p> </p><p>Akaashi stepped forwards, closer to Bokuto with now less of a frown and more curiosity.</p><p> </p><p>“I said. Kiss me.”</p><p> </p><p>“Right, that’s what I thought.” Bokuto grumbled to himself, internally cursing himself for being taken by surprise.</p><p> </p><p>But there was no hesitation in his actions when he met Akaashi midway and planted a soft but chaste kiss to his lips before retreating again. </p><p> </p><p>As someone who hadn’t experienced romantic feelings for anyone before, or allowed themselves to feel for someone, Bokuto could understand how the new opportunities on the horizon could be a little daunting? Exciting? He didn’t know, he’d never been through it.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh-” Akaashi breathed quietly, his eyes closed as he internalised everything.</p><p> </p><p>“Come on, let’s get to the coffee shop before we do any contemplation of life,” Bokuto said, taking Akaashi’s hand and starting to tug him towards their destination. A small honest smile started to creep across his expression as Akaashi held his hand in return and squeezed.</p><p> </p><p>He had a feeling that this would be a good day. For everyone.</p>
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<a name="section0022"><h2>22. Beginning of the End</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
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  <em>"He's an old soul with young eyes, a vintage heart and a beautiful smile."</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Sugawara was waiting at home, alone, when Akaashi finally got back from wherever he’d been. It had been a long, lonely day. Iwaizumi had left with nothing but a simple message that explained nothing. </p><p> </p><p>Or more to the point, Oikawa had sent the message from Iwaizumi’s phone saying it was important. </p><p> </p><p>So Sugawara had been left to do his own thing. After classes he went to the store to see if they needed anyone extra on shift to help out, and when they turned him away he had messaged Akaashi asking where he was and if he wanted to have a movie night.</p><p> </p><p>“Did you not check your phone while you were out?” Sugawara asked.</p><p> </p><p>“My phone? No, sorry. I was busy with Bokuto,” Akaashi said, sitting down across the table from Sugawara and smiling slightly. “I wasn’t ignoring you on purpose.”</p><p> </p><p>“Ah, you were with him. That makes more sense now,” Suga said with a slight mischievous smile on his face. Honestly, he hadn’t seen any of his friends in a few days for more than brief passes. He didn’t even think he’d seen Nishinoya at all, and Iwaizumi disappeared with Oikawa. Akaashi was, rightfully so in Suga’s mind, spending time with Bokuto. Even if it did leave him with next to nothing to do.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, sorry again,” Akaashi said, not really making eye contact with Sugawara at all. It did seem like he really felt guilty about it, but there was more to it than that.</p><p> </p><p>“What aren’t you telling me? Did he take you out for food or something?”</p><p> </p><p>“No, nothing like that. I’m just thinking about how lucky I am to have friends that care about me.” Akaashi diverted the conversation.</p><p> </p><p>“Of course. Though two of them just seem to disappear off the face of the planet half the time,” Sugawara said, rolling his eyes and smiling more. “Do you want to hang out tomorrow or something? It’s been a while since it’s been just a house day.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’d love to, but Bokuto promised to take me out for food tomorrow,” Akaashi apologised, and Sugawara groaned slightly, almost headbutting the table as he chuckled.</p><p> </p><p>“No worries, just let me know when you’re free. I barely have anything to do these days, and the care games are getting dusty,” Sugawara said.</p><p> </p><p>“Couldn’t you spend time with Kuroo? You did say that you two were texting a lot. I assume that hasn’t gotten any less...well, flirty?” Akaashi asked, causing Sugawara to perk up a little. He’d been so preoccupied with worrying about his friends to think much about Kuroo.</p><p><br/>“Oh I hadn’t thought of that. That’s not a bad idea. I’ll see if he’s free.” Sugawara pulled his phone out and sent a message.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Are you free for that talk over food tomorrow?</b>
</p><p> </p><p>“Let me know how it goes, okay?” Akaashi told him, a hint of an amused smile playing on his expression.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah yeah, you’ll be the first to know.”</p><p>
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</p><p>It turned out that Kuroo was free to have that talk over food, and Sugawara found himself thinking more about his attire. He shouldn’t have been thinking about it so hard, but strictly speaking he was going to a club, that also seemed to be where Kuroo lives, but it was also daytime, so he was a little confused. </p><p> </p><p>After what felt like a lifetime, but was more like ten minutes, he decided just to go with his usual day to day wear, and headed off to meet Kuroo at Hellstruck once again. He should have been comfortable around Kuroo, so it was pointless to overthink anything.</p><p> </p><p>“A few minutes late, as always,” Kuroo said with a tease as he met Sugawara outside.</p><p> </p><p>“Sorry, I- I don’t actually have an excuse this time.” Sugawara laughed and shook his head. He was a little out of breath from rushing, but still managed to be late.</p><p> </p><p>“No need to apologise. A few minutes is acceptable,” Kuroo said, turning to lead him inside and up to the second floor again.</p><p> </p><p>But when they got to their destination, it wasn’t what Suga had expected at all. Kuroo was a lot more of a romantic than he’d ever let on through their messages and prior meetings. He hadn’t even realised that there was a river behind the club, but thinking about it, there was a bridge further down the street.</p><p> </p><p>“You set this all up for us? An inside picnic? Romantic~” Sugawara chuckled, though he was still a little taken aback. This was a room he hadn’t been in before, and the floor to ceiling window was overlooking the river and the view was different than he’d expected. </p><p> </p><p>“I didn’t know what food you fancied so I got a bit of everything. And it’s not the season for outdoor picnics, so here we are,” Kuroo gestured, sitting down and without really thinking, Sugawara sat down with him.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m not really that picky,” Sugawara said, unaware of the smile that had crept onto his face. “But still, preparing this at such short notice, which I’m sorry for. All my friends seem to be busy right now…” He trailed off, sighing slightly.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m not busy. Does that mean I’m not your friend?” Kuroo asked, smirking slightly at the suggestion, only to receive an eye roll from Sugawara.</p><p> </p><p>“You know what I mean.” Sugawara wasn’t sure what to do with the suggestion that he and Kuroo weren’t friends. Of course he was a friend, but confirming it would be like friendzoning him, and that almost felt like a crime. Kuroo was <em> more </em>than just a friend.</p><p> </p><p>“Do I?” Kuroo was having way too much fun teasing him, and so Sugawara lightly hit him.</p><p> </p><p>Yes. You do,” he said firmly. At least, he hoped so. To stop Kuroo from teasing him anymore, he started busying himself with getting some food. Sugawara was pretty sure that this could be classed as a date. But neither of them had said anything explicitly about that, so he didn’t want to be the one to bring it up.</p><p> </p><p>“Hm, okay.” Kuroo just chuckled quietly as he watched Sugawara distract himself. It was evident that Kuroo liked people watching, and sometimes Sugawara felt like he was just a test subject or something similar with the way he was being watched.</p><p> </p><p>“Can I help you with something?” he eventually asked after a few bites of the sashimi he had picked out. </p><p> </p><p>“I’m not sure. I told you that you seemed familiar before. I’m getting that feeling again,” Kuroo said, not looking away. “I think you remind me of someone I knew a long time ago.”</p><p> </p><p>“Is that a good thing or a bad thing?” Sugawara wasn’t sure he could read the expression on Kuroo’s face right now, but he wasn’t getting any bad gut feelings, and he trusted his power to keep him safe.</p><p> </p><p>“A good thing. It’s just a little weird how similar you are,” Kuroo said, smiling softly, and Sugawara got the feeling that was the most genuine thing he’d ever seen from him.</p><p> </p><p>They ate in silence for a bit, watching the river and the people walking by. It was relaxing, and Sugawara could see why Kuroo enjoyed it now. It was interesting to see how different everyone was, and how they all reacted to different things, whether they were in a rush, having a stroll, or working on something serious.</p><p> </p><p>But the silence had to be broken at some point, and it was Kuroo who eventually broke it.</p><p> </p><p>“Are you busy tomorrow, Sugawara?” he asked, not looking away from the family that were currently trying to get their dog out of the water without getting wet themselves.</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t think so?” It had been an unexpected question, since usually they didn’t see each other on consecutive days. It was almost a game at this point, and sometimes it caught Sugawara off guard how long they’d actually known each other. It had only been a few weeks</p><p> </p><p>“Would you like to come and visit again? It’s been a while since I had a day off, and it’s been relaxing to spend time with you,” Kuroo said, finally looking over at Sugawara. He wore his usual expression, a slight smirk that practically exuded confidence, and while usually this would be a turn off for Sugawara there was also a sort of softness in the way he was looking at him that was impossible to say no to.</p><p> </p><p>“How can I say no to another day like this?” Sugawara asked. He didn’t plan on leaving just yet, but the idea that he could come back tomorrow made it a little easier to leave today. Especially since Kuroo often randomly announced that he had to leave with absolutely no prompt. That perplexed Sugawara, but then again, he didn’t know what it took to run a club.</p><p> </p><p>“Then it’s... another date,” Kuroo said simply. Too simply. Sugawara would have never been able to say that with a straight face without blushing or any amount of embarrassment. </p><p> </p><p>The rest of their time together was spent talking about nothing and everything. It actually felt quite simple, but talking to Kuroo was always easy. Sugawara didn’t have to put any effort into keeping conversation with him. Just another reason why he liked him.</p><p> </p><p>But the time to leave came all too soon, and his chest twisted slightly. As he stood up, he let out a heavy sigh, looking out of the window again.</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t sigh like that. I might never let you go,” Kuroo said quietly, and it almost felt like he was looking into Sugawara’s soul with the way he was watching him.</p><p> </p><p>“Is it bad that I might not mind that?” Sugawara asked with a smile. Of course, it was only meant figuratively, but it warmed Sugawara’s chest and he felt his cheeks warm at the thought.</p><p> </p><p>After a slight chuckle, Kuroo spoke again. “I’ll see you tomorrow Sugawara.” As though to punctuate his meaning, he leant down to kiss his cheek, a whisper at the corner of Suga’s mouth, a promise. Something that made Sugawara’s stomach flutter with the idea of another date.</p><p> </p><p>“Koushi,” Sugawara corrected, smiling softly. He knew he liked Kuroo, but a simple action like that had set his whole heart aflutter, and he wasn’t sure how to quite deal with that.</p><p> </p><p>Kuroo smiled in a way that Suga couldn’t quite discern. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Koushi.”</p>
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<a name="section0023"><h2>23. Ķ̷̢̨̡̧̨̛̺̩̺̟̱̝̬͈͙̫͉̤̮̤̺̩̬̩͈̩͉̲̟͕̻̩̝͔̟͈͉̱̑̋͊̌̔̽̔̓̾̊̕͠͠ͅͅư̵̡̢̡̨̢̨̡̢̟̝̥̜̲͚͎̜͍̟̣̹̺̙̠̙̗̯̦̳̬̗̺̹̹̱̩̝̦͙̮̏̓̾͆̒̈́̒̔͑̎̆̓͂̍͋͌͂̅͐̅͐̓̈́̿͑̓̆̚͘̕͜͝͠͝͝͠͝͝ͅr̶̨̗̙͎̞̤͕̰̩̦̥̱̯͙̮̬̟̦̝͈͈̘̼͈̺͈̻̊̀͊̑̓̆͐̈́̈́͆͒͆̓̐̾̊̐͐̾̉͑͒͋̎̈́͂͘̕͘̕͘͝͝͠o̸̧̼̥̣̭͎͈̝͍͉̱̜̼͍͈̩̘̟͓̩̯̫͔̞̘̳̔̈͛̃̊̊̎͜ȏ̴̍̈́͑̉̇́̈́͊͆</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
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  <em>"Never have I dealt with something more difficult than my own lost soul,"</em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p><em> Tomorrow </em>. Kuroo could wait one more day. One more day for his soulmate’s soul. It had taken him far too long to figure it out. But now he knew: and he had entirely mixed feelings about it. About Sugawara Koushi.</p><p> </p><p>But he waited. What was one day to a thousand years? He received a text from Sugawara telling him that he would be on time today, but Kuroo didn’t believe him. Something told him that he would be a few minutes late yet again. Not that it mattered. Minutes felt like they passed in the blink of an eye these days.</p><p> </p><p>When the time came, Kuroo made his way down to meet Sugawara and lo and behold, he was a few minutes late. He greeted him with a chuckle and a shake of his head to the copious excuses.</p><p> </p><p>“You don’t need to apologise. We have the entire day together after all,” Kuroo teased him which brought a smile to Sugawara’s expression, and Kuroo sighed internally. </p><p> </p><p>“We do indeed. I’m looking forward to it. Do you have another romantic picnic planned for me?” Sugawara asked, and that brought another laugh out of Kuroo.</p><p> </p><p>“While I very much enjoyed the picnic, do you think I would really be so dull as to plan the same date twice in a row?” After so long, it would be surprising if he didn’t have a library full of date ideas.</p><p> </p><p>“Of course not. So what does the great Kuroo Tetsurou have planned for us?”</p><p> </p><p>“A couple of things. Something I always enjoyed doing when I was younger, and something I enjoy doing now…” He opened a door to a living space. Like a regular lounge that one would expect to see in the twenty-first century. “I figured we could make a living room camp out,” he said, watching Sugawara closely for his reaction.</p><p> </p><p>It was like dating someone for a second time when they didn't remember the first time. But of course, he couldn’t be sure that opinions hadn’t changed. </p><p> </p><p>“Oh...did you set up a projector for a film too?” Sugawara asked, turning around to face him in the middle of the room.</p><p> </p><p>“Perhaps,” Kuroo said, closing the room and following Sugawara into the room. “What do you think?”</p><p> </p><p>“I love it. It’s cute. I didn't take you for such a romantic. All these private dates with just the two of us around…” Sugawara smiled genuinely. If Kuroo had been anyone else, it would have been impossible not to return the smile.</p><p> </p><p>“What can I say? I enjoy your presence,” Kuroo said. That was the truth, though a little twisted. He enjoyed having Sugawara close, knowing that there was no way he could escape now. “Come on, let’s make this fort and watch this movie.”</p><p> </p><p>Kuroo had no plan to actually watch the movie as it started, his entire focus was on Sugawara’s every reaction. He’d lost one of his souls thanks to Oikawa being a lovestruck child, and he didn’t plan on losing another. Especially not this one.</p><p> </p><p>“Are you actually watching this?” Sugawara asked him a few minutes in, and there was a slight teasing lilt to his tone that Kuroo almost rolled his eyes at, but he managed to stop himself, and instead he wrapped an arm around him.</p><p> </p><p>“Mm, no. You’re a lot more interesting than this,” Kuroo said easily, pulling Sugawara closer to him. “Do you have a problem with that?”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh- no. I guess that’s okay,” Sugawara said, looking up at him and resting his head on Kuroo’s shoulder.</p><p> </p><p>If this wasn’t the perfect time for Kuroo to enact his plan, he didn’t know when it would be. He smiled slightly at Sugawara - the same expression he’d given him yesterday before he’d kissed him...nearly.</p><p> </p><p>“Strictly speaking this is, what...date three? Four?” Kuroo asked. “I don’t feel any guilt in doing this now.” He wasted no time in leaning down and capturing Sugawara’s lips with his own.</p><p> </p><p>Even being as old as he was, human contact, kissing, sex, affection, all had the same appeal. He was just more in control of how he felt. He was more aware of everything going on around him.</p><p> </p><p>“You shouldn’t have felt any guilt in the first place,” Sugawara said, smiling even more when they separated. “I have to admit I was expecting you to do that yesterday…”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh? Eager then.” Kuroo chuckled and took one of Sugawara’s hands in his own, stroking his thumb over the back of his hand. Could he do this here and now, or should he wait a little longer? There was no benefit to dragging everything out. No benefit apart from Sugawara being more willing.</p><p> </p><p>And ultimately, that didn’t matter.</p><p> </p><p>“Not eager. I just...know what I want,” Sugawara said. Kuroo had a hard time not scoffing, but instead just chuckled again.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh? And what’s that?” he asked, meeting Sugawara’s gaze, already anticipating the answer he was going to give.</p><p> </p><p>“You.”</p><p> </p><p>Typical. Kuroo could have read that coming from a mile off.</p><p> </p><p>“Well, what are we waiting for then?” he asked, lifting Sugawara’s hand to gently kiss the back of it, not looking away from him. </p><p> </p><p>He could see the effect he was having on his soulmate, and that meant he knew he could do almost anything he wanted with him. So he stood up and waited for Sugawara to follow him, sending a coy smile back at him as he led him through the maze of corridors to a certain room. One that Kuroo knew they wouldn’t be disturbed in.</p><p> </p><p>“You know you’re welcome to leave anytime you want,” Kuroo said as he pulled him closer, one arm wrapping around his waist while he still held his hand with the other.</p><p> </p><p>“Why would I want to leave?” Sugawara asked, leaning against Kuroo, their bodies flush together as Sugawara leaned up to kiss him this time, only briefly, but Kuroo recognised the signs. He’d done this many times before.</p><p> </p><p>He could also appreciate the beautiful irony of the situation, and he just shook his head, affectionately from Sugawara’s perspective.</p><p> </p><p>“Because, Koushi, I’m about to take you to another world,” Kuroo purred, stealing yet another kiss. This one was hotter, more heated, and he made a small sound of appreciation when Sugawara’s hand found its way into his hair.</p><p> </p><p>Kuroo’s eyes were wide open, even though he did mildly enjoy the sensation. And while Sugawara was lost in the kiss, Kuroo eventually closed his eyes and focused on their soulscapes, taking him exactly where he wanted him.</p><p> </p><p>Finally trapping Sugawara. Finally about to get the soul that he wanted - no, <em> needed. </em> </p><p>
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</p><p>Sugawara felt the world shift beneath him and when he opened his eyes, he panicked slightly, and tried to take a step backwards. But he couldn’t move.</p><p> </p><p>“What is this?” he asked, staring up at Kuroo. He didn’t know how to feel, honestly, this was entirely unexpected and he didn’t know where he was anymore.</p><p> </p><p>“Come now, you should have figured out what I am by now, Athena,” Kuroo told him as a small smile spread across his face and his hand stroked across Suga’s cheek softly. It didn’t feel romantic anymore. He felt trapped.</p><p> </p><p>He hadn’t had time to take in their surroundings, but when they changed, and a loud crack sounded, he turned his head towards the source. Everything around them was constantly changing. There was fire, a temple, more fire.</p><p> </p><p>“Which god?” Sugawara asked.</p><p> </p><p>“If I tell you that our surroundings are soulscapes, taken from who we are, that should give you an idea. You’re smart,” Kuroo said. The compliment felt thoroughly insincere and shallow to Sugawara.</p><p> </p><p>There was fire, but it didn’t feel like the warm inviting sort, and if Suga looked hard enough, he could almost see people in the fire.</p><p> </p><p>“Hades.” That was the only option. No way was he Apollo or Ares. Neither of those fit Kuroo, he wasn’t like Nishinoya or Iwaizumi. “You’re one of the big three. But I thought they didn’t have any children?”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s because the part of a human that allows it to be a demigod is their soul. As a child, I took both the Zeus soul and Poseidon soul. I’m the only living demigod of the big three as you call them,” Kuroo explained. “They were annoying anyway. Flaunting their power everywhere, every day. It really wasn’t such a big deal-” </p><p> </p><p>“What? You took their souls? Souls are real?” Sugawara asked, feeling his chest tighten painfully, certainly not in a good way.</p><p> </p><p>“What do you think that is?” Kuroo asked, pointing to Sugawara’s chest. To the orb inside him that he’d never ever thought to notice. His soul. “Of course souls are real. Do they not teach that in that infernal school of yours these days?” He tutted slightly. “Disappointing.”</p><p> </p><p>Sugawara looked over at Kuroo to see if he had a soul, but all he could see looked like wisps of grey smoke throughout his body.</p><p> </p><p>“Then why is yours like that?” he asked. “Your soul is barely visible-” Sugawara stopped talking when he received a sharp glare from Kuroo.</p><p> </p><p>"You really are behind on the times, aren’t you, Sugawara? I use souls to extend my life. I’m over <em> a thousand years old </em>,” Kuroo said.</p><p> </p><p>“Surely your soul is at its limits then! A thousand years is a long time! You’re barely even yourself anymore. You’re basically a combination of all the people you’ve hurt,” Sugawara protested, frowning deeply. What did Kuroo want to achieve from this? </p><p> </p><p>All of a sudden he felt like floodgates in his mind had been opened as he suddenly regained the use of his power. Sugawara had a visceral reaction, wanting to be as far away from Kuroo as possible.</p><p> </p><p>“I’ve been me the entire time. I know exactly what I want. I’m <em> free </em>, Koushi.”</p><p> </p><p>“You can nullify my ability. So everything you’ve ever said was fake? You’re just here to take my soul and then cast me aside?” Sugawara asked. He’d gone from curious to angry and fearful in a single moment. How could someone be so willingly <em> evil </em>?</p><p> </p><p>He hadn’t even considered his own safety up until now.</p><p> </p><p>“Not at all. You really are interesting to me. You do remind me of someone I used to know, and you have their heart too,” Kuroo said. “You actually have his soul…the same soul that I used to love. That I would have done anything for.”</p><p> </p><p>That was impossible, right? Unless reincarnating souls was actually possible. Shit. He had no way to escape. He felt like a puppet under Kuroo’s control. And Kuroo could cut his strings at any moment.</p><p> </p><p>“Then why are you doing this?” he finally, desperately asked. </p><p> </p><p>“Because your soul is the same soul that abandoned me a thousand years ago. And I made a mistake in not taking it for my own back then,” Kuroo said harshly, turning and pacing around the space they were in, moving out of his peripheral, leaving him stuck where he was.</p><p> </p><p>For a moment, the only thing Sugawara could hear was the pounding of his heart rattling in his chest and the sound of his slightly panicked breathing. Everything else was silent. He almost thought Kuroo had left him here alone, but after a moment, he let out a slow breath of relief as he heard Kuroo’s voice.</p><p> </p><p>“You have a choice, Sugawara,” Kuroo started, “And while your choice will end in the same result for me, it will determine your future, be it a short or a long one. You can either give me your soul of your own free will, and stay with me. Or you can refuse me.” Sugawara could feel Kuroo’s presence directly behind him, and he tensed as an arm wrapped around his waist and that fickle voice spoke quietly, close to his ear.</p><p> </p><p> “Your soul is the one that abandoned me and turned me into who I am today, but your heart is still one I care about. I’m giving you the choice. Do you want this to be painless and live a comfortable life with me, or do you want to die?”</p><p> </p><p>Kuroo rested his chin on Sugawara’s shoulder, kissing his cheek in what felt like a mockery of yesterday’s safety, and while Sugawara knew it was all fake, he couldn’t help but feel warm at the attention. He was repulsed by his own reactions.</p><p> </p><p>“How do I know you won’t just cast me aside? How do I know you’re telling the truth?” he asked. At this point, he was just delaying the inevitable. </p><p> </p><p>It would be better to die. He knew that, but he was scared. He didn’t want to die.</p><p> </p><p>“You have full control over your abilities now, Koushi. Don’t believe me? Look at my eyes. They’re only gold when I’m using my ability,” Kuroo said, and Suga turned his head to look at him. “What does your soul say? Am I lying?” </p><p> </p><p>The fact that Kuroo wasn’t lying felt like the knife that had already been stabbed into his gut was being twisted. And the icing on the cake came with the thought that Kuroo with grey eyes was just as attractive and alluring.</p><p> </p><p>“You- aren’t lying,” Sugawara said, sighing in resignation, turning his head away. He didn’t want to watch the last dregs of his freedom be ripped away from him.</p><p> </p><p>“So, child of Athena, what is your choice?” Kuroo asked, and Sugawara could hear the smirk in his voice. “Will you join Apollo in his fate to become a shadow? Or will you join Artemis in his newfound freedom?” His hand was already warm on his chest, just waiting to take his soul: willingly or not, it didn’t matter.</p><p> </p><p>He swallowed thickly, feeling nauseous. How had it come to this? And not only that, how had he not noticed his friends fading away? The brief thought that he deserved to die passed through his mind, but then fear overrode that too.</p><p> </p><p>“As long as you keep your promise, you can have it.” Sugawara finally decided his fate, but even to him, his voice sounded weak, and once he’d spoken, he started feeling numb. His tongue felt like lead and his stomach might as well have just fallen through the ground.</p><p> </p><p>In his victory, Kuroo took the soul, tugging it free from Sugawara’s chest painlessly. It felt so anticlimactic. He’d expected it to hurt more, having something so integral to living removed from him. Wisps followed after the orb, reluctantly, like they didn’t want to leave him.</p><p> </p><p>Was that it? He turned to look at Kuroo, at his soul. But what he didn’t expect to see was Kuroo with a frown on his face and eyes narrowed at something in the distance. But before he could follow his gaze, they were back in the dark room in Hellstruck.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m finally free from you,” Sugawara heard Kuroo mutter as he stepped over to an old and dusty jar set on the mantelpiece in the room.</p><p> </p><p>But he didn’t care. He was now trapped himself. Perhaps living was the wrong choice. He didn’t want to live this empty life. Rubbing a hand over his chest, Sugawara sighed. Even if nothing physical was missing, his chest felt ...empty.</p><p> </p><p>“Who are you free from?” Sugawara asked, following him over to the middle of the room.</p><p> </p><p>“None of your business, love. Now hush while I revel in the freedom that you finally gave me,” Kuroo said, turning to face Sugawara and kissed his cheek.</p><p> </p><p>This was it. After all his aspirations, his goals to live among humans peacefully and live a fulfilling life with a job teaching young people about the world, he found himself trapped. All of his dreams, his happiness had been ripped away from him in one single moment.</p><p> </p><p>All for the sake of the demon of Hellstruck, and his soulmate, Kuroo Tetsurou.</p><p>
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  <span class="u"> <b> <em>Just how many others have you trapped to achieve your own selfish freedom?</em> </b> </span>
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